None Of Your Business
by Soulwithlife
Summary: Weiss never expected to take inspiration from one of Jaune's off-handed comments, but here she was, setting up an adventuring business to rival her father's despicable empire! However, while things seem to be going smoothly at first, events soon spiral out of control as a rival business begins taking the matter of competition into their own hands. Sequel to In A Grimm Manor.
1. Capitalism, Ho!

Disclaimer: RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth and Monty Oum, not me. This is merely a fanwork meant for entertainment purposes only. Cover image courtesy of Jan Chrt (jeni-cek on deviantART). All rights reserved.

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><p>"No, Doc Lavender, I'm perfectly fine, really! Look, I can move my legs and everything!"<p>

"Yo, that's great Arc-man, but I can't let you leave until I run some aura diagnostics, mmkay?"

"And how long's that going to take?"

"'Bout half an hour-ish."

_Ah, so __that's__ why he's still in there. I suppose excessive aura depletion __can__ be pretty dangerous if left unchecked…_

Jaune sighed.

"Let's get it over with, then."

Having been standing outside the door for far longer than was probably necessary, Weiss finally decided to announce her presence with a few dainty knocks.

"Hm? Who's there?" Lavender's sing-song voice asked.

"Weiss Schnee. I'm here to see Jaune, if that's okay."

"Oh, come right in!" Jaune exclaimed happily, "It'll be nice to have someone to talk to while this darn thing does its work."

"Hey!"

"I'm talking about the _machine_."

"_Sure_ you were, Arc-man."

The infirmary was a comforting universal constant for Weiss; while other things in Beacon were always changing, the place where people went to patch up their boo-boos was the same monochrome mess it had always been...as was Doc Lavender, though this thought was somewhat less comforting. It was still the weekend at that moment and, given that most students went to Vale in their free time or just got into various non-threatening comedy antics, it was no surprise that Jaune and Doc Lavender were the only ones there at the moment. There were still quite a few chairs strewn around, though; perhaps Mister Arc had entertained some guests not long ago?

"Hey, Weiss!" Jaune greeted happily, "Take a seat, if you like. Plenty of 'em since the rest of JNPR dropped by."

Lavender looked between the two students as Weiss sat down in Pyrrha's former seat, her bright eyes calculating away.

"White Knight…?" she whispered mysteriously.

"Huh?"

"Nothing, Arc-man, nothing at all. I'mma pop out to get some more hot chocolate. Want a drink, Schnee?"

"Some coffee would be best, if you have any."

"Yeah, yeah, no problemo. I guess I'll just leave you two for a bit then..."

Lavender slipped over to the door, winking overtly towards Jaune.

"Alone."

A faint cackling could be heard as the nutty doctor made her getaway. Weiss, for her part, wasn't exactly pleased.

"I suppose she's been following those rumours floating around. Pah."

"Rumours?"

"Oh, right...you've been stuck in this bed for a while, haven't you? How to put this…" Weiss paused, averting her eyes, "Let's just say that, when a boy and a girl go off on a secret mission together, certain types of people can take that the wrong way."

Jaune turned a cherry red.

"A-ah. I'm surprised Pyrrha didn't mention them when she came over."

"Hmph. As if someone like her would put stock into something so ridiculous. People have even come up to me, unsolicited I might add, and asked if we were dating! I denied it, of course, but this little grapevine seems determined to keep growing. I'd ask that you try and curb it where you can...once you're out of the infirmary, anyway."

"Sure, that shouldn't be too hard. I mean, it's not like I haven't been through this before…rumour has it that Pyrrha and I have been dating for years. And we're married. And have a child. Possibly three."

"You can't be serious!"

"I _wish_ I was joking. I swear, two people can't be friends these days without people misinterpreting it. Then again, I guess if it's not hurting anyone's feelings then it doesn't really matter what people say...assuming that's the case, anyway."

There was a short pause.

"So...that's the ADT?" Weiss asked finally.

"The what?"

"Aura Diagnostics Tool. The device on your arm."

"Oh, right! Well, I certainly _hope_ that's what it is. Otherwise I'm more than a little worried that this is working on sucking out my soul or something."

It was a deceptively simple-looking bit of machinery. From what Weiss could tell, it was affixed to Jaune's arm through a tight black strap, with several silvery wires coming out either side of the backlit screen. It was roughly the size of a scroll, perhaps a little chunkier in terms of depth, and the monitor displayed some kind of medical model of Jaune's body, a pale sphere blinking in his chest.

"Does it hurt?"

"Nah, just feels a little tingly. Apparently she needs to check if my regeneration rate's back to normal before I leave, which I guess kinda makes sense. Don't really want to find out something's wrong when I'm in the middle of fighting an Ursa or something, y'know?"

"Mmhm. She's a little odd, but Doctor Lavender certainly seems to know what she's talking about."

"Did she do a check up on you when you got back?"

Weiss nodded.

"And she said you were fine?"

"Tired and a little bruised here and there, but otherwise healthy, yes."

"That's good to hear, at least...but uh, mind if I ask you something? Something about the manor?"

Weiss glanced to the door and set her ears to listen, but Lavender still seemed to be away.

"I can't guarantee I'll have an answer for you, but ask what you will."

"What happened on the top floor?"

"Well...we defeated Alice. The manor collapsed. My favourite outfit got covered in black goo…"

"No, I mean _before_ I arrived."

Weiss cast her mind back to her time with the reflection, shivering at the thought.

"Nothing. Nothing at all." she spat out hastily.

"I see." Jaune noted dubiously, "So there _wasn't_ an eldritch mirror up there trying to consume your aura?"

"What?! Who told you that?!"

"Bianca. She called it the Mirror of Suits. Sound familiar?"

"What's it to you?"

"I just...thought you might want to talk about it, that's all. Maybe get some stuff off of your chest."

"And I'm telling you this because...?"

"Because I'm your friend, and I'm not going to judge you no matter what you say. That, and the only other person you could really speak to would be Spade, since you've kept what happened at the manor a secret and all."

Weiss sighed. Cardin may have reformed somewhat since his bully days, but she was fairly sure his empathy was still rather stunted...certainly in comparison to Jaune's blind kindness, anyway.

"You don't _have_ to tell me, though-"

"Look, just shut up, alright?"

Jaune paused mid-sentence, using his free hand to very literally shut his mouth.

"...it told me I was becoming like my father."

Jaune and his floppy flannel shirt motioned for Weiss to continue.

"Okay...you know I'm the heiress to the Schnee Dust Company, right?"

"And your father's the CEO?"

"Mmhm. He took over from my grandfather, the man who set up the company originally. He's pretty much the terror of the business world; manipulating laws and contracts to suit his own needs and wielding his empire like a battering ram to crush any hope of opposition. In essence, he's as self-interested as they come."

"But-"

"I'm not finished! Throughout my life he's been relentlessly pushing me to work harder, to think like him, to _be _him. He wanted nothing less than a perfect daughter, and I, in my foolishness, wanted nothing more than to have a loving father. It's not like I've lost that desire, but...I've realised that it's impossible. I'm not sure he's even _capable_ of love. I just…"

Weiss sighed again.

"I'm afraid that it's too late to turn back. When he threatened to pull my funding, leaving my friends behind, I took the decision, going back on the plans I'd made just so I wouldn't lose the only people I'd really cared about...but it was born from selfishness. I didn't do it because they would miss me, but because _I'd_ miss _them_! He...he's succeeded. I'm becoming him, and there's nothing I can do to stop it..."

"Weiss…"

The heiress began to sob softly.

"Weiss!"

"...what?"

"Listen to me, okay? Do you want to know what makes you different to your father?"

Weiss remained silent.

"It's that you _realise this_. People have flaws. Maybe you're born with them, maybe you're raised to have them. Point is, you become a better person by _understanding_ and _overcoming_ your flaws! Yeah, okay, maybe you _were_ selfish, so what? Do you think your dad thinks the same thing when he crushes some small business so he can make a few extra lien?"

"...no."

"Exactly! You're not becoming your father, Weiss...you're becoming _you_!"

Jaune rapped a fist against his chest.

"And there's no one on Remnant who could convince me to say otherwise, alright?"

"...you're a dork sometimes, Jaune." Weiss said, smiling.

"Well someone's got to be! Jaune Arc, friendly neighbourhood dork...at your service, m'lady."

Weiss chuckled.

"Then I'll be sure to tell my friends in case they're in dire need of a dork. You could even make...a business out of it…"

Jaune blinked.

"Uh, Weiss? ...you're not serious, are you?"

"No, you dolt! Well, not about that, anyway...but if I set up my own business, completely separate from my father's…"

"He wouldn't be able to threaten your finances anymore?"

"Exactly! I mean, I could build my _own_ business empire...except with equality, and fair treatment...maybe some snazzy outfits...yes, yes, it's perfect! You're a genius, Jaune!"

"Pretty sure that's the first time someone's said _that_ one."

"No, really! Meet me in my room tomorrow; bring your team along if you like. We've got a lot of work to do…"

And with that, Weiss shot off like a particularly expensive rocket, whooshing past Lavender as she tried to gingerly step through the doorway.

"Hey what about your-"

ZOOM

"-coffee?"

Lavender glanced over to Jaune.

"You didn't offend her, did you?"

Jaune shook his head, motioning for the cup to be placed on his bedside table.

_You know Weiss, this is the sort of stuff that sparks rumours. Still, I don't see the harm in going along with her, especially if it helps with the whole Mirror of Suits thing._

The dorky student took a sip of the coffee, wincing at its strength.

_Capitalism ho and all that._

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><p><strong>Hey everyone, Soulwithlife here! If you're a new reader who's wondering what's going on, I'd highly recommend going back to my previous fic, 'In A Grimm Manor'. While this story will be largely self-contained, there will be a lot of references to events that happened in the prequel, and reading it would provide a much more complete experience, in my opinion.<br>**

**As for my previous readers, welcome back! Like In A Grimm Manor, this story will be debuting weekly, this time every Thursday, so make sure to stay tuned as new chapters are released. If you have any feedback or questions (that aren't about revealing spoilers, anyway), I would greatly appreciate it if you left a review. Come on, you know you want to!**

**'Till next time, readers!**

_This chapter has been checked over and refined, and unless someone else suggests a correction, this will be the final version.  
><em>


	2. You Must Construct Additional Pylons!

Disclaimer: RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth and Monty Oum, not me. This is merely a fanwork meant for entertainment purposes only. Cover image courtesy of Jan Chrt (jeni-cek on deviantART). All rights reserved.

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><p>"Mister Asbeth! How are the renovations going in sector B?"<p>

"Apart from Ol damn near breaking his toe? Yeah, things are going alright."

"Did he require medical attention?"

"If by 'medical attention' you mean 'slapping him around the face to make him keep focus', then yeah, I guess he did."

"Just keep it civil, Mister Asbeth. I'm not paying you to fight amongst yourselves."

"It shall be as you command, O Glorious Leader." Asbeth said dryly, bellowing out various orders as he returned to his post. Shaking her head in mock derision, Weiss decided to once again survey her surroundings, glad to take a minute away from the oft confusing schematics on the table.

_Project Alpha_, as Weiss was currently calling it, was a large octagonal building along the outskirts of Vale and, while it had laid mostly abandoned for a good ten years or so, Weiss' firm touch and experienced workmen had, after only a day of labour, turned it into something resembling its former glory. From what she had heard, the previous owner had used the place as some kind of improvised warehouse, filling it with all kinds of questionable goods that wouldn't be allowed into the more popular district by the docks. However, once their little scheme had been figured out, the scoundrel turned tail and ran, leaving the building in the care of Vale's illustrious government. Thankfully, family connections went a long way, and after explaining exactly what she planned to do with it, the old octagon was now in Weiss' care, and she was determined to set a new, untainted history for the place.

...that was the plan, anyway, assuming the renovators didn't keep getting distracted every five minutes. First there was the peculiar sound from the second floor, later found to be caused by a 'very confused orangutan'. Next, one of the windows burst open on its own, letting in a rough summer wind sharp enough to send Oliver sprawling to the floor, prompting the lanky boy to clamour for 'hazard pay'...and, frankly, the less that was said about the lemon incident the better.

"Hey, Weiss!"

Turning her mind away from such ridiculous thoughts, Weiss soon found herself confronted by none other than Jaune Arc, swiftly followed by the rest of his team, all dressed in their usual hunter garb...with the exception of Nora, who was currently donning a white chef's hat. Inside out.

"Sorry we're late, but Nora insisted that we stop at Lizz's bakery on the way here and, well...you know how it goes." Jaune said apologetically, "Was there a reason you changed your mind about where we should meet?"

"Just differing circumstances, Jaune. Oh, and thank you all very much for coming, by the way. I know it can't have been easy fitting it around that essay we had to hand in for Grimm studies."

A look of horror began to descend onto JNP's collective faces.

"Oh crap, I forgot about the essay!" Jaune exclaimed.

"And I forgot to remind him!" Pyrrha gasped.

"And my chef's hat's totally the wrong way around!"

Wordlessly, Ren roamed the group, fixing up Nora's chef's hat and handing Jaune a very neatly folded sheet of paper. All Pyrrha got was a quick tap on the shoulder, but it seemed to bolster her mood, at least.

"O...kay." Weiss said confusedly, trying to lead the conversation back to its original topic, "Essays aside, I'm glad you all could make it. Soon enough I'm going to need all the teams I can get my hands on, and it makes me a little more comfortable to know that a few dependable ones will be close by."

"Would you be kind enough to fill me in on the details, Weiss?" Pyrrha asked politely, "Jaune said it was something to do with a business, but he didn't seem too sure about much beyond that."

"That would be my fault." Weiss admitted, "When I had my little 'eureka' moment, I was somewhat abrupt with my departure, and it would perhaps have been wise to give you a better idea of what I had planned."

Weiss gestured to her surroundings.

"See all this? It doesn't look like much right now, but in a couple of days time, this hall will be lined with tables and chairs, and at the very end there, besides the staircase, will be a job board."

"Oh, I think I get it…" Jaune mused, "It's like a hunter's guild, right? Regular people come and post jobs up on the board, then hunters and huntresses come along and pick which ones they want to do?"

"Exactly."

"There's more to it than that, isn't there?" Ren noted perceptively, "A hunter's guild isn't new. Stories say they've been around almost as long as hunters themselves."

"True, but schools as grand as Beacon haven't existed for all that long in comparison, which is why I think my idea might bring something fresh. Do you know how sometimes we have practical assignments that have us do missions akin to what the Vale government gives to the main guilds?"

"Of course!" Nora confirmed enthusiastically, "That one we had two weeks ago was totally awesome! There were lizards and horses and bears, oh my!"

"Nora." Ren cut in curtly.

"Eh heh...sorry, Weiss."

"No no, it's perfectly fine. See, I feel like Nora's enthusiasm for real missions is shared by a lot of students at Beacon, and since there are always going to be some jobs that are a little too minor to be solved by an experienced huntsman or huntress...well, why not let one problem solve the other?"

"What a grand idea!" Pyrrha exclaimed, "That way, not only do Beacon students get more experience performing real missions, but the Vale government gets to lighten its load, too!"

"So wait, where do we come in?" Jaune asked curiously, "There aren't jobs up already, are there?"

"Well, no, but working this all out with Ozpin was a little on the strenuous side, and I feel that latter negotiations would go a lot more smoothly if I had some people that confirmed their interest."

A fake cough echoed from further down the hallway. Weiss rolled her eyes.

"Oh, and I believe some of the workers here wanted Pyrrha's autograph, if that's not too much trouble."

"Weiss!" Jaune exclaimed sharply, "You can't just ask Pyrrha to sign a bunch of-"

Of course, by the time Jaune had gotten halfway through his sentence, Pyrrha's hand was already at work, and it wasn't long before the workers had formed a small queue to claim their 'real reward'.

_At least they're actually lining up instead of clambering over each other. Perhaps Asbeth had a word with them earlier?_ _Speaking of…_

"Mister Asbeth! Once you're done getting your autograph, I'd appreciate it if you'd come over here to discuss something."

Asbeth was the sort of man who carried a perpetually tired look on his face, which, along with his heavy, muscular build and army-like short black hair, made him a somewhat intimidating figure to approach. However, after hanging around him for a good part of her youth, Weiss found him to be a dependable, orderly workman, and while he occasionally let his sour disposition get ahead of him, he was still one of the few people Weiss trusted from her family background. After slipping his precious autograph into one of the safer pockets of his work garments, Asbeth approached the group, minus Pyrrha, who was still finishing up with the signing.

"Reporting in, Miss Schnee. These're the friends you mentioned, right?"

"Mmhm. Do you want me to introduce them?"

"Only two. I already know Miss Nikos, obviously, and I don't think I could miss Jaune if I tried. The resemblance to his dad is uncanny."

Jaune assumed a bashful expression, remaining silent.

"Is that so?" Weiss asked with mild interest, "Well, the remaining two are Ren and Nora, and I can assure you that they are just as skilled as anyone in team RWBY."

"Good. Maybe that'll help you get that asshole in the clockwork tower on your side."

"His name's Ozpin, Mister Asbeth." Weiss said wearily.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. You want me to get these four on our system, then?"

"Assuming that they're up for it, yes. Nora-"

"If it lets me hammer more Grimm into the dirt, you can count me in!"

"Then put me down, too." Ren said, shaking his head slightly, "Can't have Nora going off on her own, after all."

_Hm, well that was easy. Seems like JNPR has an even stronger pair dynamic than RWBY._

Having finally finished with her signing, Pyrrha zoomed back to the main group, giving a smile and an enthusiastic thumbs up.

"I would also like to join in! I still have my tournament record to keep up, after all, and a few practice missions here and there certainly wouldn't go amiss in keeping myself sharp. I also think it would be beneficial for Jaune to go." Pyrrha said, her last line a little more insistent, "He needs plenty of opportunities to put his semblance to the test, and I believe this would be a great way of finding them."

"Well, if the great Pyrrha Nikos says I should go, who am I to refuse?" Jaune joked, prompting a playful nudge from his protégé.

"That's good to hear." Weiss said finally, for some reason wanting to move on as quickly as possible, "Now, if you all wouldn't mind following Mister Asbeth here, I'll see what I can do about organising the room a bit more."

As JNPR were swiftly lead over to where the digital board would eventually be placed, Weiss found herself staring up towards one of the windows, noting once again that, despite no one opening it, the blasted thing had decided to unhinge itself anyway. Was there something wrong with the window itself? If there was, there was no way she was letting Vale get away with passing it off as a 'hale and whole building', as they had put it.

_Now, where __has__ that Oliver got off to? He was supposed to be working on moving the new tables in, and..._

Lost in thought, it wasn't particularly surprising that Weiss had missed it. The wind muffled it somewhat regardless, and if someone were to try and listen more carefully, it was likely that they would simply assume it was a sound coming from outside somewhere. After all, was it all that unusual to hear the faint tinkling of laughter?

…

Zinnia glowed.

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><p><strong>Hey, all! Soul here. I know this chapter's a little on the short side, and as such, chapter three will be posted Sunday the 23rd of November. Worry not, however, for chapter four is still scheduled for next Thursday, so if you prefer, feel free to just wait until next Thursday for your double dose of None Of Your Business!<strong>

**Any feedback, comments, the lot? Go ahead and leave a review. Go ooooon. Clickity!**

**Ahem. In any case...'till next time, folks!**

__This chapter has been checked over and refined, and unless someone else suggests a correction, this will be the final version.__


	3. Swooping Is Bad

Disclaimer: RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth and Monty Oum, not me. This is merely a fanwork meant for entertainment purposes only. Cover image courtesy of Jan Chrt (jeni-cek on deviantART). All rights reserved.

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><p>Weiss took a deep breath.<p>

"Nervous?"

She shook her head.

"Not exactly, Mister Asbeth. It's just that, well...there's been a lot of work leading up to this moment. Sometimes I have to take a minute to let that sink in."

The second floor of the _Project Alpha_ had, after many hours of labour, been completely transformed from its past self, having formerly been cluttered with innumerable boxes filled with air and dust. Now, however, the space had been thoroughly organised by Weiss' keen mind, split off into little 'sectors' and marked for future development. If this business took off properly, a few offices would certainly go a long way, and while Weiss' office at the end was certainly coming along well, with its fancy desk and nifty computer, the rest were, for the moment, falling to the wayside. That was fine, though. While the business was just getting started, the patrons would be restricted to the main floor, so the mostly non-existent upstairs would hopefully go unnoticed.

"Whatever you say, Miss Schnee." Asbeth muttered, making a token effort to straighten out his formal trench coat, "So long as your speech ain't interrupted by a case of the jitters, I guess it doesn't matter too much either way."

"Oh, please." Weiss said, rolling her eyes, "When you've had to sing for an arena full of people you've never met, performing a little sales pitch to a few ragtag students is child's play."

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK.

"Enter!" Weiss exclaimed sharply.

The Beacon Prom was still far on the horizon, and while it was obviously something he wasn't accustomed to wearing, Jaune had come prepared with a slim black suit, complete with a little red bow tie that gave the otherwise plain attire a suave quality. It was a slick complement to Weiss' garb; a long, flowing ball gown, its perfect whiteness reminiscent of winter's first snow.

_Not half bad, Mister Arc...perhaps if you wore it a little better, I'd even go as far as to say it's quite a handsome look._

"I was getting some odd stares pushing through the crowd wearing this thing…" Jaune complained, pulling a little on his bow tie, "There _is_ a reason you requested a suit, right?"

"There's _always_ a reason, Jaune; you should know that by now. After all, we can't have you looking like a scruffy little stray while you're standing next to me on stage, can we?"

Jaune's face blanched.

"M-me? On stage? Are you _trying_ to make me the school laughing stock? Er...more than I already am, anyway."

"Calm down, you dolt! _I'll_ be the one talking, thank you very much; all you have to do is sit there and look pretty, nodding your head once in a while."

"Look pretty?" Jaune repeated, smiling, "Should I have asked one of my sisters for a dress instead?"

"Perhaps for the next event, Jaune." Weiss replied, a devilish grin creeping across her own face.

Meanwhile, Asbeth seemed to be making some kind of effort to escape, having almost made it through the door to the floor below before Weiss snapped her fingers.

"Mister Asbeth!"

He groaned.

"Yes, Miss Schnee?"

"Where exactly do you think you're going?"

"...somewhere else?"

"That's terribly rude of you, Mister Asbeth, considering I'd asked you to accompany myself and Jaune onto the stage."

"Yeah, well, best made plans of Weiss and men and all that."

"Not on _my_ watch. You _will_ accompany us, Mister Asbeth, and after that, you can go off to the Metropolitan and become inebriated with _my_ money, if it pleases you."

"Is that how your dad told you to talk to people?"

Weiss gritted her teeth.

"_Please, _Mister Asbeth?"

"Better. I'll be waiting on the other side, Miss Schnee." Asbeth announced, his trenchcoat flapping slightly as he pushed his way to the lower floor.

Jaune blinked.

"...you and him go way back, I'm guessing?"

"And how exactly did you come to that conclusion?"

"You're cold to people you don't like, but you're _vicious _to people you do...and sometimes really, really nice. Sometimes."

"Is that so?" Weiss asked hotly, "Because, Jaune, I have to say I'm feeling rather vicious tonight. Do you know what that means?"

Jaune gulped.

"Am I getting dragged on another manor adventure?"

"Oh no, that would be far too simple. Congratulations on your promotion, Mister Arc." Weiss said mysteriously, skipping over to the door and slipping through before Jaune had chance to respond.

"...that girl's going to be the death of me, isn't she?"

Jaune sighed, reluctantly making his way over to the plain oak door that had barely finished closing.

_She's a pretty death, at least._

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><p>Despite the lines she'd fed to Asbeth, it would be fairly on-point to say that Weiss Schnee was a little on-edge. It wasn't the performing aspect; after all, as she'd said previously, she'd appeared in front of far more than the one hundred or so Beacon students that had piled into the hall, chattering away here and there as they picked away at the high quality nibbles, courtesy of Lizz's bakery. If she had to guess, it would be that, before, Weiss had been merely acting out someone else's lines; the songs had been chosen for her, the little speeches she'd made had been wrought from another's hand...this, however, was all her own making, and the ice queen couldn't help but dread a chilly reception.<p>

_...here goes nothing, I guess._

Weiss' heels cut through the low rumbling of talk like the sharpest knife as she walked onto the stage, promptly followed by the much less graceful forms of Asbeth and Jaune. Silence greeted the hall as she stepped up to the microphone, steeling herself for what was to come.

"Fellow students of Beacon…" she began, her voice taking a practised resonant quality, "Welcome to the opening night of our school's finest enterprise to date. Now, perhaps you've wondered amongst yourselves...what exactly _is_ this entity I speak of? I've heard mutterings that say I'm donning an apron and starting a mess hall; yet others whispering that this is some kind of elaborate subsidiary of Schnee corp that has been handed down to me from my father. I'm afraid that, while these are both legitimate ideas in their own right, I must dash these rumours against the wall...for you see, the business I have planned is far, far more interesting."

Weiss detached the microphone from its stand, pacing down the plain wooden stage that, despite its rapid construction time, appeared to be holding up perfectly well.

"Isn't it a shame, my fellow students? Isn't it a shame that, despite dubbing ourselves hunters and huntresses in training, it is so terribly rare that we actually got around to doing any _hunting_? Essays, field trips to collect innocuous materials, stale lectures by Professor Port...I don't think I need to dwell overmuch on these things, for as we all know, they have become unfortunate parts of our daily life. So, my hunters and huntresses...what would you say if I were to announce a little something that might well fulfill that hunting itch that has gone unfulfilled for so very long? And, not only that, you would also be able to make a fair amount of lien on the side! What say you to this?"

A cheer erupted through the audience, and while the uproar continued, Weiss clapped her hands, prompting a previously unseen banner to fall from the roof, its crimson red providing a stark contrast against the plain white walls of the building itself. Upon the banner, expertly printed, was a light blue snowflake, not so far apart from the traditional Schnee logo...that is, apart from the two golden arcs that now pierced through the top portion.

"Today I announce Vale's newest organisation, the Aurora guild! Accepting applicants from anyone studying at Beacon, Aurora will offer hunting missions not so different from the ones executed by hunters and huntresses across the globe, providing not only experience, but financial rewards as well! No more will Grimm harry our gates, for experienced guild members will be there to cut them down! More interested in protection contracts for Vale's more paranoid citizens? Aurora will be here to help, offering up bodyguard work to give our citizens, and your wallets, peace of mind. And, after the proud guild members return to the hall with their spoils, they may partake of delicious pastries and wondrous beverages, all the while swapping stories and generally enjoying the company of their fellows."

Weiss returned the microphone to the stand, putting her arms wide.

"So, I ask again, dear students of Beacon, my brothers, my sisters, my friends...what say you to this?"

"YES!" the crowd thundered, seemingly shaking the very foundations of the building itself.

"Then, with myself, Weiss Schnee, as President, and Jaune Arc as Vice President-"

"WHAT?!" Jaune cried, but the roar of the crowd simply swallowed it up.

"-I swear to you all that we will lead you to a future where essays, lectures, material collection...a future where all of these are a mere distraction from the work of a _real_ hunter or huntress. Join the Aurora guild, brothers and sisters, and live out your full potential!"

Weiss waited on-stage for quite some time, basking in the her handiwork. People were her instruments, and given the crowd's reaction, this particular speech had come out a masterpiece. Finally, she picked up the microphone again, walking to the front edge of the stage.

"Flyers will be available on your way out, but until then, enjoy yourselves! After all, what's a guild hall if it hasn't been lived in a little, hm?"

With that, Weiss returned the microphone and stepped off the stage, dragging the still bewildered Jaune with her as she strode back to her office. The students soon resumed their chatter and merriment, this time centering the conversations around the exciting new guild that had announced itself on their doorstep.

Convenient, really, since all the talking happened to mask a rather large thump from further up the building. As Asbeth pushed his way over to the main doorway, refusing a flier from the pasty little helpers Weiss had rounded up from a nearby inn, he began to wonder what exactly Weiss was planning to do with her little friend once they were upstairs.

Or, more importantly, whether he should tell his best man that his son was banging none other than the heiress of the Schnee corporation herself.

_Nah, probably not. Better to keep these things as a surprise, right?_

* * *

><p>Of course, the noise that had pierced through to the ground floor had nothing to do with any sort of sexual relations, as hilarious as Asbeth would have found such a thing. No, instead, Weiss was confronted by the towering form of Cardin Winchester, garbed in stone and holding an unconscious man by the back of his deep black cloak.<p>

"Might want to hire a bodyguard, Miss Schnee." Cardin announced, his voice imitating the tone that Spade had held back at the manor. In a contemptuous motion, he slammed the man down onto the floor, a silvery black emblem tumbling out of his cloak.

Weiss gasped in shock, but Jaune merely peered at the metal in confusion.

"What exactly is that?" he asked, somewhat unnerved by Weiss' horrified expression.

"The Black Arrow…" Weiss breathed, her legs suddenly feeling a whole lot less sure of themselves.

"They're a guild?"

"Not just any guild, Jaune…"

Weiss grimaced.

"An _assassin's _guild."

* * *

><p><strong>Hiya, Soul here! As promised in the previous author commentary, this chapter has been posted on Sunday (today) rather than on the usual Thursday, but worry not, for as I said, chapter four is still slated for a Thursday release!<strong>

**Have questions, feedback, commentary on ships bouncing around? Stick 'em all in the reviews section! Unless it concerns plot spoilers, I tend to answer all questions via PM, so don't be afraid to post whatever comes into your head ^^ .**

**See you next on Thursday, folks!**

_This chapter has been checked over and refined, and unless someone else suggests a correction, this will be the final version._


	4. Desynchronised

Disclaimer: RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth and Monty Oum, not me. This is merely a fanwork meant for entertainment purposes only. Cover image courtesy of Jan Chrt (jeni-cek on deviantART). All rights reserved.

* * *

><p>"An assassin's guild? But…"<p>

It was a hard pill to swallow. Jaune had grown up in more of a countryside setting, and as such, he'd never really known much organised crime...certainly nothing that formed as an official _guild_.

"How could the police possibly allow that?" Jaune asked confusedly.

"Half are idiots, rest are paid shills." Cardin answered curtly, drawing his mace, "Schnee Corp knows that more than anyone."

"Are you implying something?" Weiss inquired, the steel apparent in her voice.

"Your father's company isn't known for its compassion, I'll say that much."

"Pah! Perhaps it lacks compassion, but I can assure you that Schnee Corp is not run by idiots. Why try to assassinate the heiress you've already sunk so many resources into?"

"Some might have disagreed with that...maybe heard about your little project, too. I'll bet they want someone more pliable on the throne of Schnee Corp, and some toadie lower down decided to take a shortcut."

"You seem pretty sure that it's her father's company that's out to get her, Spade." Jaune observed, giving the enormous man a suspicious look, "Is there a particular reason, or are you just going off a hunch?"

"Call it past experiences." Cardin replied, his voice taking a final sort of tone.

Meanwhile, Weiss was performing a little examination on the assassin's body, frowning.

"You didn't kill him, did you?"

"I figured a bloody corpse would have made a bigger mess to clean up." Cardin answered amusedly, "Should I finish him?"

"Not right now, Spade." Weiss said, ignoring Jaune's horrified expression, "As it happens, questioning dead men tends not to get much done. Do you have some way to bind him?"

"No." Cardin replied bluntly, "Earth semblances aren't great with delicate stuff like that. I'd probably end up crushing his ribs."

"Perhaps not, then. Any ideas, Jaune?"

He shook his head vigorously.

"No way am I helping you torture a guy, even if he might have tried to kill you! That's just wrong on all sorts of levels!"

"It's _interrogation_, Jaune, not torture." Weiss replied briskly, rolling her eyes, "If he doesn't answer anything, I can promise you we're not going to start breaking any fingers."

"And what about afterwards? What are you going to do with him then?"

"The cops will take him." Cardin cut in, "They might not be good for much, but they'll at least keep him in custody for a week or so before his guildmates buy him out."

There was a short pause.

"Killing him's also an option."

"Spade!" Jaune exclaimed, horrified, "We can't just murder a man in cold blood!"

"It's definitely easier than murdering him in hot blood, blondie...takes a while for fire dust to get into the system, you know."

"None of that, thank you very much!" Weiss commanded imperiously, "And Jaune? Stop looking like you're about to throw up. We're not killing him, and we're _definitely_ not doing any torture. Now, do you think you could use your semblance to contain him somehow?"

"Maybe?" Jaune responded dubiously, "I've not had a lot of practice using shields to keep things _in_, but I guess it could work. What if he breaks out, though?"

"So what?" Cardin shot back, "We're not giving him any weapons, blondie. If he somehow gets through your shield with his fists, I'll be here to smack him back down. Done it once already, after all."

"Right…" Jaune muttered hesitantly, "Then how are we going to wake him up? It's been a good fifteen minutes or so, but he still looks out cold."

"Leave that to me, Jaune." Weiss assured, "In fact, leave everything but the shield to me; no offense, but you're liable to just mess something up."

"And what's _that_ supposed to mean?"

"Have you ever interrogated anyone, Jaune?"

"Have _you_?"

"Yes."

Jaune blinked.

"...oh. I, uh, guess that's okay, then." he mumbled pathetically, "I'll just be over here...preparing my shield. Being useless. Grumble grumble."

"Spade...you just stand off to one side; try and look a bit menacing, if you can. I'm not going to hurt this man we're questioning, but _he_ doesn't need to know that."

"As you wish."

"And I'll...search the assassin, removing all weapons I come across. Joy."

It took a good few minutes, but by the time they were done, everything was set up fairly nicely. The would-be killer was currently laying prone in a little golden bubble which, with a little help from Weiss' glyphs, was ever so slightly hovering in the air. Meanwhile, hoping to improve the mood of the scene, Weiss had insisted on lowering the intensity of the room's dust-powered light sources, providing what she hoped was a far more antagonistic atmosphere to conduct her interrogation. Still, the light was just enough to spy Cardin's hulking form by the corner, along with the multitude of sharp implements Weiss had confiscated from the assassin. Jaune recognised quite a few of them as being quite similar to many of the weapons at the academy, but there was one in particular that seemed especially mysterious; a long, slim arrowhead, five miniature dust canisters embedded within.

"It's not important, Jaune" Weiss answered upon inquiry, "Just don't go touching it."

"Is it poisoned or something?"

"In a sense...now get back to the shield, please. I don't want it blinking out on me when I'm in the middle of a monologue, you know."

Speaking of Weiss, it seemed as if it was time to reveal exactly how she was planning to wake up their unconscious friend. Drawing Zinnia, Weiss twirled the sword almost like a baton, soon producing a large, bright orange glyph just below the bubble. It was a little difficult to tell exactly what was _on_ the glyph from where he stood, but if Jaune had to guess, it almost looked like the magical symbol was a piece of clockwork, though the hands of this particular timepiece seemed to moving at an unusually fast rate. After a few seconds, the assassin began to groan, and as soon as he did, Weiss' odd glyph vanished into the night air.

"Eurgh...my head…" he murmured, just about managing to sit up in his little golden bubble, "Where…oh, I see. Hello, Miss Schnee."

The assassin's cheery countenance caught Weiss off-guard, as did his surprisingly young-sounding baritone voice in comparison to his mature appearance. Still, her own expression soon returned to the well-prepared ice-cold glare that had been knocked into her since childhood. The assassin gulped.

"Could you, uh...could you not do that, please? It's really quite unnerving."

"So is almost getting murdered." Weiss countered, still keeping her eyes fixed on the would-be killer, "But I suppose you wouldn't understand that, Elliot."

"Ah, so you know my name!" Elliot crowed happily, "That makes things a lot faster. I _hate_ introductions."

"...you're not going to ask _how_ I know your name?"

Elliot frowned.

"I hope you didn't pay a lot for it, Miss Schnee...I mean, it was on the inside of my clothes, after all. Oh, speaking of clothes, can I slip this thing off? It's _super_ hot in here."

Weiss simply watched incredulously as Elliot nonchalantly removed his heavy black cloak, revealing a young man who reminded her a little too much of her fellow students. While his face seemed reasonably old, perhaps aided by his thick brown beard, the rest of him was quite thin and lanky, and if she were to make a guess, she would imagine that Elliot here was only a year or two older than she was. His black tank top and business-like trousers made for a somewhat unprofessional contrast, and while she hadn't been sure of it before, Weiss was now convinced that he was wearing a commemorative necklace from one of Vale's famous sports teams.

"You're acting rather casually considering your situation, Elliot." she observed, "You _do_ realise I can have my associates do all manners of unpleasant things to you, yes?"

"Of course you can, Miss Schnee. Would you like to?"

"Not unless you refuse to talk."

"In that case, what would you like to talk about?" Elliot bounced back, "I'd prefer a conversation about the West Vale Ravens, to be honest, but I'm sure you have something else in mind."

"That will not be necessary." Weiss stated coldly, "All I'm concerned about is who employed you."

"The Black Arrows!" Elliot answered cheerfully.

"I mean who hired _them_."

"Ah, I see! Sorry, I kind of misunderstood you there. Hm, let me think…"

Elliot scratched his beard.

"Igneus of the Red Hunters, if I remember correctly."

"How do we know you aren't lying?" Weiss accused, "After all, you came up with that answer a little too quickly for my liking."

"Well, I'm going to die in approximately one minute and thirty seconds, so there's not much point in me telling you fibs, is there?"

Weiss blinked.

"We're...not going to kill you, Elliot."

"Did I say that? I mean, I guess you _could_, but that'd be kinda redundant, I think."

"What do you mean?"

"Simple! You asked me who I worked for, I told you The Black Arrows, so now I'm kinda going to die."

Weiss glanced over to Jaune.

"I can assure you that they aren't getting through this shield, Elliot."

"That's okay, Miss Schnee." Elliot said, leaning back with a dreamy expression on his face.

"I mean, it's kind of hard to get in when you're _already_ in, ri-"

Elliot had stopped talking. Perhaps if you had met him earlier on in his life, you would have found this hard to believe; after all, he was well-known around the poorer districts as quite the chatter-box.

Of course, even chatty men tend to find it hard to talk when they can't breathe anymore.

"Why would that...but...my shield…?!"

The golden globe that had imprisoned Elliot quickly evaporated as Jaune rushed over to a sink in the corner, letting Elliot's corpse drop to the floor. Weiss, having experienced such first-hand death before, merely shook her head sadly, and after Jaune had finished emptying his stomach, she laid a hand on the poor boy's shoulder.

"It wasn't your fault, Jaune." she reassured soothingly, "There was nothing you could do..."

"He...he was just a kid." Jaune whimpered, burying his head in his hands, "That could have been me! And...and he was just so serene about it too! Why…?"

Perhaps it was the situation that did it. After all, when someone dies so suddenly and so cleanly right in front of you, it would be enough to make most people act erratically. That was how Weiss justified it, at least, as she gave Jaune a surprisingly tender hug, holding him close as tears began to run down his face. After a minute or so, it seemed as if Jaune had cried himself out, now simply seeming a little hollow as Weiss released him from her embrace.

"...thank you." Jaune said weakly.

"Don't mention it, Jaune. No, seriously, do _not_ mention this to _anyone_."

Jaune managed a sad little grin.

"Those rumours again, huh?"

"Like you wouldn't _believe_."

As Jaune began to focus on his surroundings once more, he became aware that Elliot's corpse was now slung across Cardin's shoulder and, for some reason, he was holding the arrowhead from earlier in an iron grip.

"What are you going to do with his...body, Spade?" Jaune asked, resisting the urge to retch again.

"Taking it to the police." Cardin said simply, "This thing will prove he's a Black Arrow."

"Are you sure they'll believe you?"

"They don't have to. One look at the arrowhead and they'll get an autopsy on this guy, and that'll prove it for sure."

Before Jaune could ask anything else, Cardin had already left, opening the same window he (and, by extension, Elliot) had used to enter and bolting out into the night.

"...Weiss?"

"Hm?"

"What did he mean by an autopsy?"

Weiss bit her lip.

"To be honest, I'm not entirely sure. They say that Black Arrows are never alive long enough to answer their questions, but I always assumed that was because they were assassinated by their own brethren...apparently it's a little more complex than that."

Carefully stepping around the area Elliot's corpse had once occupied, Weiss went over to the window, taking a breath of night air before closing it with a solid _thud_. Afterwards, she turned to Jaune, giving him a sympathetic look.

"I'd recommend you go back to Beacon and get some rest. It's been a long night, and I can't have my vice president running around without enough sleep."

"Yes ma'am." Jaune said weakly, but by the time he'd reached the door, his former smile had faded back to a frown.

"...if I can even get to sleep."

With that, Weiss was left on her own in the upper room and, out of habit, she went over to her computer, idly half-tapping the keys as thoughts zipped around her head.

_You certainly picked your entrance, Igneus...or should I say..._

_...cousin?_

* * *

><p><strong>Hi all! Sorry I didn't post this commentary until late, but my health isn't exactly in the best of states at the moment, so I'm kind of all over the place for a bit . . This is also the reason why chapter five is (or was, if you're from the future) late, and to make up for it, a bonus chapter will be posted on Sunday.<br>**

**As a side note, has anyone noticed what the theme for the chapter titles is this time around? If you have, post it in the reviews or something! If not, post in the reviews anyway! I love to hear back from you guys, especially when I'm not feeling so great myself.  
><strong>

**'Till next time!**


	5. S Support Unlocked

Disclaimer: RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth and Monty Oum, not me. This is merely a fanwork meant for entertainment purposes only. Cover image courtesy of Jan Chrt (jeni-cek on deviantART). All rights reserved.

* * *

><p><em>A tower rising from an expanse of forest. A raging beast, its slumber disturbed, destroying all in its wake. The green and pink tried to fight, but they were quickly overcome. Even the strong, dependable burgundy was swept away by the creature, left to rot in the black abyss.<em>

_Then, after all his protectors were gone, gold was left alone. _

_Terribly, horribly alone._

"BWAUGH!"

Jaune leapt from his bed, hands shaking uncontrollably as he desperately tried to pull himself together. Looking around, he found that he was still in the usual surroundings of his team room, with Nora apparently having migrated over to Ren's bedside at some point. Noting that the two were still sound asleep, Jaune glanced to the window, grimacing as he realised the racket he'd made at what was possibly still the wee hours of the morning. Hopefully Pyrrha hadn't-

"Jaune? Are you okay?"

Looking radiant even in her plain blue nightclothes, Pyrrha Nikos peered out from behind the gender-dividing curtain, her kindly green eyes tinged with worry. Jaune was half-tempted to lie and tell her to get some rest, but even as he considered such an action, the nightmare's spectre continued to haunt his mind.

"I...hm. Pyrrha, could I talk to you about something?"

Nodding, Pyrrha hovered over to the bed, giving Jaune a little space as she rested her hands in her lap.

"You had a nightmare?" she asked softly.

"Yeah, but...I don't know. It just seemed so _real_."

"I know what you mean. I don't tend to get them much anymore, but back when I was younger, I used to have _terrible_ nightmares about the tournaments I entered. Sometimes I'd lose, sometimes I'd mess up and cause someone to get badly hurt...either way, it was little comfort for a little girl who just wanted to make her parents proud."

She paused for a moment, frowning as she noticed the dark bags under Jaune's eyes.

"It looks like yours were a lot worse, though. Could you tell me what happened?"

Jaune sighed, running an idle hand through his hair.

"It was about the beginning of the year, I think...back when we were fighting for our lives in the Emerald Forest. There was something there, some kind of Grimm...but for whatever reason, we couldn't beat it. Nora, Ren, even you...everyone fell to this creature, and no matter what I tried, I couldn't move in to help. All I could do was watch as you were tossed away into the inky blackness…"

"Is this the first time you've had this dream?"

"Yeah…"

"I thought so. Usually you sleep like a baby."

Jaune sent Pyrrha a curious eyebrow.

"Do I really?"

"By which I mean, uh…" Pyrrha stuttered out, blushing faintly, "I haven't heard you wake up like that before, so you must have slept well?"

Jaune grinned mischievously, which only seemed to make her blush further. Still, after a time, his expression became melancholy once more.

"What did you mean about it being the first time I dreamt this?"

"Well...maybe I've heard it wrong, but I think some people say that our dreams are reflections of our reality. When we have nightmares, it can often be because of something new and mysterious in our lives that has tipped things off the usual balance."

"So you think the dream was triggered by some new event?"

"I think so, though I can't imagine what it could be. Unless…"

Pyrrha turned to face Jaune, giving him a concerned look.

"Is there something you'd like to tell me, Jaune?"

He glanced back towards Nora and Ren, thankful that they both still seemed to be sound asleep.

"Promise not to tell anyone?"

"My lips are sealed."

Jaune took a deep breath, closing his eyes.

"You know how I went to Weiss' opening party last night?"

"Yes, you told me about it before you left. Seemed to me that you were a little nervous...did something go wrong?"

"Not in the way you're thinking. See, the ceremony went well, I think, and I even got named Vice President...but it was afterwards when things went bad. After Weiss and I went to the upper floor to sort things out, we found that an assassin had prepared to kill her, and it was only by a stroke of good luck that he was caught before any damage was done."

"An assassin? In Vale?"

"I couldn't believe it either, to be honest. Weiss made me put him in a shield bubble while she interrogated him, and though we found out some good info, the guy just seemed kinda...off. He kept talking about not having long left after being captured, and even when we reassured him that the shield would protect him, he just seemed to shrug it off."

Jaune's hands started shaking once again as Elliot's last moments flashed through his head.

"He was just a kid, Pyrrha...just a kid like me, and even as I tried to protect him, his life slipped away. It wasn't some kind of epic struggle against an evil force, nor did he die from a blade in the side...it was just a click of the fingers, a second on the clock. It just didn't seem right, you know? People, even criminals, deserve more than that…"

Pyrrha clasped Jaune's shaking hand in her own, motioning for him to continue.

"It was then that it hit me. I mean, it's not like I've never thought about dying, but it always seemed like some kind of glorious affair. My grandparents and their parents before them were always painted as near-invincible warriors, triumphing against impossible odds to save the day against the Grimm...and if they died, well, it was for the greater good, right? It was only when I saw the assassin's death that the fragility of my life became so apparent...of all our lives, even. Maybe that's what the nightmare meant."

"I'm...not sure what to say." Pyrrha admitted, "You're grappling with some fairly philosophical concepts here, and I'm not sure I'm the best person to help. Still...I suppose what you need to remember is that, in the end, we're all destined to pass away, one way or another. The trick is making the most of the time you have so that, when you do eventually die, you aren't left wondering about all the things that could or should have happened. From the sounds of it, no matter what you could have done, the assassin in your care would have died regardless...so wouldn't it be better to let it go?"

"Heh. You don't give yourself enough credit, Pyrrha...are you sure you didn't study philosophy?"

"That's more of my grandmother's trade, unfortunately. Still, if my little bits and pieces of life experience have helped you along, then I'm glad I said them. It's...unpleasant when I have to see you in pain, especially from situations that are so difficult to overcome."

"Is that why you were trying to help me with Cardin before?"

"Partly. As hard as it might be to believe, I know how it feels to be bullied, Jaune, and there's no one I would wish such a misfortune on."

"...I'm sorry I didn't listen to you back then."

Pyrrha chuckled.

"I said to let things go, didn't I? That didn't just apply to events in the recent past, you know, especially considering how much you've grown since then."

"You mean how I've stopped being a total tool?"

"Well I wouldn't go _that_ far, but...you certainly did have some foolish ideas floating around."

"What, like dating Weiss?"

Pyrrha's heart stopped.

"E-er, I don't see what's so foolish about that. She seems like a very warm individual, once you get to know her."

"Maybe, but after what happened with Cardin, I sort of realised that I wasn't really giving enough attention to those around me. If I had back then, I'd have realised that Weiss wasn't really into me from the start. I guess we're just not really compatible."

"That's...a shame." Pyrrha said slowly, though it was all she could do to stop herself from celebrating, "So does that mean the one and only Jaune Arc is on the lookout for a different lucky lady?"

"You could say that." Jaune replied mysteriously, "I think she might be a little out of my league, though."

"...really?"

Jaune swallowed hard, looking bashfully to the side.

"I mean, what's your average guy to do when he falls for a girl famous enough to appear on Pumpkin Pete's Marshmallow Flakes?"

Silence consumed the room as Jaune's confession seemed to settle like a blanket, even drowning out Nora's raucous snoring in its intensity. Finally, after Pyrrha remained silent, Jaune started to walk towards the bathroom, blushing furiously.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said it, I'm sure you-"

However, before he could make it very far at all, Pyrrha pulled on his hand, standing up herself so that she was practically toe to toe with him. With eyes as bright as moonlight, Pyrrha spoke with a cool, confident voice.

"I think, Jaune." she said deliberately, gripping his hand tighter, "I think that the girl on the cereal box might appreciate a guy who treats her with the same kind idealism that he treats everyone else with."

"...and she doesn't mind that the guy's a big dork?"

Pyrrha smiled warmly.

"Not at all. In fact, she thinks that's part of his charm."

_Okay Jaune, think; what do we do in this situation?_

_Run away!_

_No, other than that!_

_Fight?_

_Where's the brave Jaune in here?_

_Oh, that's me._

_So what do you think we should do, brave Jaune?_

_Well-_

Unfortunately, before brave Jaune could comment, the chain of thought that had led up to him was tragically cut off as Jaune Prime found himself heavily distracted by a sensational kiss on the lips.

It wasn't the greatest of kisses. Pyrrha had never dated anyone before, and Jaune _definitely_ hadn't, so there was a lot of improvising going on. After a good few seconds, the kiss was broken off, leaving the two looking rather breathless.

"Well, that was, er…" Jaune began, suddenly finding it rather hard to concentrate for some reason.

"Good?"

"Oh, er, good, yes. Definitely good."

The two paused briefly, their gazes locked.

"Want to try again?" Pyrrha suggested brightly.

Meanwhile, over on the other side of the room, a slightly sleepy Nora sneakily watched, trying her best to suppress a giggle. Instead, she simply decided to ruffle Ren's hair, which didn't seem to disturb his sleep in the slightest.

_I wonder how many desserts Yang'll give me for gossip this juicy? Then again, it'd be kinda hard to sell, since a good half of the school seems to pair up Weiss and Jaune instead. Ah well, not my job!_

As Nora settled back down to sleep, a certain other Beacon individual was rudely awakened. With sloth still evident in her expression, Weiss stumbled her way through the team room, just about managing to make it over to Zinnia's glowing form. As she clumsily tried to shut off the light, an odd thought came to her.

_I should make Cardin my bodyguard. That way, he'd keep me safe, and along with that, I'd get to spend more time with him._

A minute passed as Weiss simply stood there holding her weapon, and the longer she did so, the less it seemed like an odd idea and the more it seemed like a logical and intelligent idea that she had come up with all on her own. If anyone had been awake in the room to hear it, they would have noticed the faint tinkling of laughter as Weiss set the weapon back down, crawling back into her bunk and settling into a feverish sleep.

_Good girl, Weiss...good girl._

* * *

><p><strong>Hiya readers, Soulwithlife here!<br>**

**First of all, I'd like to apologise for my absence. I've been going through some personal issues for a little while now, and it's only recently that I've managed to come out on top. Still, come out on top I did, so now None Of Your Business updates can continue, woop woop! To make up for how late this is, the update schedule is changing from weekly to twice-weekly, which will be on Thursdays and Sundays. The only reason this chapter is being posted on Tuesday is because Thursday is Christmas Day, and I'm afraid I'll be rather busy. : P**

**Happy Holidays, everyone, and if you have any comments, don't be afraid to post in the reviews section! Toodles!**

**Edit: To 'A Friend' in the reviews, I'd like to say that, since I'm from the UK, we tend to use 'biweekly' as 'twice a week' and 'fortnightly' as 'once every two weeks' ( wiki/biweekly). Still, I changed it to twice-weekly to avoid any further confusion : P . **


	6. Objection!

Disclaimer: RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth and Monty Oum, not me. This is merely a fanwork meant for entertainment purposes only. Cover image courtesy of Jan Chrt (jeni-cek on deviantART). All rights reserved.

* * *

><p>Cardin Winchester, son of Elijah Winchester, student of Beacon Academy and earthen protector to Bianca Schnee...was currently staring deep into a large, vinegar-soaked tomato. It was <em>really<em> large, actually, and while Cardin was no farm boy, he had a sneaking suspicion that tomatoes weren't supposed to grow to be the size of someone's hand. Was it safe to eat? Had covering it in vinegar angered it? Was this some divine punishment for his sins?

"Ahem. May I sit down?" a sharp female voice cut in, forcing Cardin to begrudgingly set his food thoughts aside so as to not appear a complete simpleton in front of the one and only Weiss Schnee. Focused as he was on fruit-based escapades, it wasn't all that surprising that she had managed not to draw his attention until that moment, but even then, Cardin had an odd feeling that she had deliberately avoided detection, perhaps to illicit some kind of surprise reaction from him.

No such luck there; like the earth itself, Cardin seemed positively unshakeable as of late, merely motioning for Weiss to take a seat before pushing his plain white plate off to one side.

"Morning, Weiss." Cardin greeted pleasantly, "Sleep well?"

"Well enough for a woman fearing for her life, I suppose." she responded bitterly, laying a delicate hand on the mess hall table, "How about you?"

"Not great. Kept waking up in the middle of the night for no particular reason. I'd say it was my boys playing pranks, but since they've all gone back home for the holidays, it was probably just something I ate."

"Is that why you're down here so early?"

"Partly. Other side of it is that I thought this would be a better place for you to let out your annoyance than in my room. Less soundproofing, you know."

"'Let out my annoyance'?"

"Well, you're going to ask me to do something and I'm going to say no. Then, when you've left, I'm going to continue…'eating' this tomato. Probably."

Weiss raised a dubious eyebrow.

"You're acting awfully smug for someone who's so perplexed by fruit."

"Blame it on the early-morning grump. Anyway, you gonna ask me your thing or not? The faster I turn you down, the faster I can get back to doing nothing in particular."

"You don't even know what I'm going to say!" Weiss exclaimed hotly.

"I'm not joining your business, I'm not being your bodyguard and I'm not venturing into the Emerald Forest to pick you plums. I reckon that's got all my bases covered."

"And why is it exactly that you would refuse to be my bodyguard?" Weiss asked, the frustration evident in her tone, "It's not like I'm asking you to do it for _free_, you know."

"Pay isn't the problem." Cardin stated bluntly, "The problem is having everyone in your little posse constantly giving me dirty looks when all I'm trying to do is protect you. Plus, unless you're suggesting I stay constantly in disguise, Jaune will figure out who the warrior from the mansion was pretty damned fast if I start using my semblance at all."

"You've thought about this already?"

"Mmhm. Planned to offer it myself before logic kicked in and put that particular idea in the trash heap."

Weiss pouted, crossing her arms.

"So there's nothing I could do to change your mind?"

"Not that I can-"

Suddenly, a burst of light began filtering through the mess hall's enormous windows, and, after his eyes had readjusted, Cardin found himself drawn to the weapon at Weiss' waist, now glittering in the sunlight.

"...actually, maybe there _is _something that might change my mind." he mused, memories of the manor flooding back to him.

"Oh?" Weiss responded, her eyes alight, "Do go on."

"Your weapon, Zinnia. Give it to me, and I will guard you for as long as you wish."

"You can't be serious! I'm not going to give up my weapon just so you can be my bodyguard! What would I do for the Beacon assignments where we have to slay Grimm? Are you going to do those for me, too?"

"Since when was Zinnia 'your weapon'? Last I checked, you were just using it while Myrtenaster was getting repairs, and if that's the case, what would the problem be with giving it to me?"

Without warning, Weiss grasped Cardin's hand, peering across the table with eyes that were not her own.

"But Spade, it _is_ my weapon, don't you see?" 'Weiss' said smoothly, letting out a girlish giggle, "Now do be a dear and protect me, won't you?"

Even as Cardin reeled in shock, Weiss returned to her senses, immediately blushing and retracting her hand as she realised what had happened.

"I, um...did I do that?" she asked, putting a hand to her forehead, "I'm sorry, I think I was out of it for a minute there."

"...yeah, you could say that." Cardin mumbled, his eyes still fixed on Zinnia, "Anyway, you can forget what I said before. Consider me your bodyguard from now on."

Weiss blinked.

"Not that I'm complaining, but why the sudden change of heart? You seemed so dead set against it before."

"Forgive me, Weiss." Cardin replied softly, "That was before I realised what an excellent opportunity it would be to spend more time with such a lovely young lady."

Weiss turned bright red.

"A-are you making fun of me?"

"Not at all. Surely this isn't the first time a young man has commented on your beauty, hm?"

"That's none of your business!"

This time it was Cardin's turn to link hands, all the while delivering Weiss a sultry look.

"It could _become_ my business, if you like."

Weiss bit her lip.

"And if I do like?"

"Then you're very much welcome to it."

The conversation paused.

"...I'll think about it." she said finally, standing up from the table, "But for now, our relationship is staying in the work-safe zone, if you please."

"If that's how you want it." Cardin replied, shrugging.

"And in the meantime, I'll be needing you in Vale every weekday from ten o'clock sharp, do you hear me?"

"Loud and clear, Weiss."

"Good. Now, if you don't mind, I've got some news to spill to my team members. Dust knows how they'll react to my near-_assassination_, considering they were nearly bouncing off the walls when I went off to the manor with Jaune."

"Who knows? Maybe you'll end up with four bodyguards by the end of this."

"It'd almost surprise me more if I _didn't_, to be honest. Talk to you later, Cardin."

"Mmhm."

As Weiss walked back to her dorm room, her head chock full of new ideas, Cardin instead elected to empty his mind, returning his focus back to the interestingly uninteresting tomato that still remained on his plate, possibly now more condiment than fruit.

It was easier to do that than to think too much on what he'd just discovered, after all. Especially since, if he thought about it hard enough, he might have had to question the morality of his current actions.

Ah well. Maybe next time.

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><p><strong>Hey all, Soulwithlife here!<strong>

**Bit of a short chapter this time, but it was the most I could cook up with a cracking headache bearing down on me. Still, if you see any mistakes/things that could use improving, please put something in the review section! Hell, put something in there anyway. I love hearing from you guys.**

**See ya on Thursday, dear readers!**

**Edit: Due to an unexpected event on New Year's Day, the next update will instead be moved to Friday. Sorry!**


	7. Guild Wars

Disclaimer: RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth and Monty Oum, not me. This is merely a fanwork meant for entertainment purposes only. Cover image courtesy of Jan Chrt (jeni-cek on deviantART). All rights reserved.

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><p>Many things in life frustrated Weiss. Her father, Professor Port's lectures, undercooked hot dogs...but nothing quite compared to sitting on a perfectly functional business and not being able to use it.<p>

"Been doing it up?" Cardin asked, looking curiously around the room with his mace slung across his shoulder, "A bit much, if you ask me, but I guess I've never been a fan of art."

Weiss had certainly been busy since the meeting in the cafeteria. The formerly bare walls of Project Alpha's second floor had been cleanly and precisely decorated by a variety of beautiful paintings, one for each 'sector' of the room. One was a lovely watercolour depicting a couple walking through a street, several autumnal trees by their side being illuminated by street lamps. Another was an abstract piece, seeming much like random bits of colour to Cardin, but to the more artistically inclined, it supposedly portrayed the anguish of the human condition. Lastly was the painting in Weiss' sector. While it appeared to be a rather simple, if well done, shoulders-up portrait of a young woman with piercing light blue eyes, Cardin had a feeling that there must have been more to the picture than that for Weiss to put it in her own booth.

"I suppose it's not for everyone." Weiss replied simply, moving her motley collection of pens around the desk, "Still, whether you are vulnerable to its charms or not, a good piece of art truly completes a room such as this. It...gives it a certain kind of peace that an office needs, in my opinion."

"I don't really see it, but sure, whatever. Not like I ever did much interior design or anything."

Finally content with the organisation of her desk, Weiss soon had to confront the reality of having nothing to do for several hours while the rest of the students finished their last day at Beacon...well, until the holidays were over, at least. It was only by the grace of Professor Ozpin that Weiss herself wasn't stuck in the classroom; according to him, preparing for the first real day of business was 'more important than we teachers giving ourselves a pat on the back'. Unfortunately, after preparing the job board, attending to the cleanliness of the main hall and decorating the second floor, she had a good few hours left and nothing in particular to do with them. Nevertheless, as Cardin made a cursory examination of the abstract painting, an idea began to form in Weiss' mind.

"Cardin?"

"Yeah?"

"It'll still be a fair amount of time until Aurora officially opens, and I think I'm about as prepared as I'm going to get. Would you like to accompany me outside?"

"Accompany you?" Cardin asked, raising an eyebrow, "We going somewhere nice?"

"I hope so. There's this ice cream parlour near here that Nora told me about...Orin's, was it? She said they stock some unusual varieties there, and I've been meaning to drop by for a while now, but…"

"Life got in the way of living?"

"Something like that, yes." Weiss said, smiling, "So what do you think, Cardin? Want to come with me?"

"You signed me up as your bodyguard, Weiss; whether I like it or not, I'm coming with you anyway. Still, I guess going for an ice cream date sounds nice enough." Cardin finished, winking roguishly.

"Hmph, how presumptuous!" Weiss exclaimed, "As much as you might wish it to be, this _isn't_ a date, Cardin. It's an...outing."

"Whatever you say." Cardin replied dubiously, "But I'll warn you, if anyone sees us out together, _they'll_ certainly assume it's a date."

"As if I don't already have rumours about my love life circling around." she replied bitterly, "Who knows? It might be good to throw some confusion into the mix. Maybe then they'll stop assuming that Jaune and I are an item."

"Well I wouldn't-" Cardin began, but perhaps thinking better of it, he promptly cut himself off.

"You wouldn't what?"

"It's...nothing." Cardin lied, running a hand through his hair, "Better you hear it from someone else."

"Hear _what_?" Weiss demanded, frowning, "Has there been another rumour going around?"

"You could say that."

"Cardin, if you don't stop being so opaque, I swear I'll-"

"WEISS!"

Just as soon as it had appeared, Weiss' anger swiftly evaporated, swept away by one of Ruby's famous tackle-hugs. Soon enough, Blake and Yang followed, watching amusedly as Ruby dodged around her sour teammate.

"What _are_ you doing?"

"Checking if you're alright, duh! Did you really think I wasn't going to worry about you when some assassin's guild tried to kill you?"

"Well, I...no, I suppose not." Weiss admitted, grinning despite herself, "Still, what are you all doing here? Did classes end early for the day?"

"Ha, that's one way of putting it!" Yang responded enthusiastically, punching her fists together, "Me and Pyrrha were called for a practical demonstration in one of the classrooms, y'know. After half of the walls had holes in them, Glynda decided that it might be best for us to, uh...what'd she say, Blake?"

"'Not cause the school's maintenance bill to skyrocket'?"

"Yeah, that was it! Anyways, that's why we all got released, and as soon as we were, Ruby was off like a little rocket. You _could_ have taken my bike, you know?"

"I needed to get here fast, and Bumblebee's too slow!" Ruby whined, pouting.

"_Sure_, Rubes, you keep telling yourself that. Hey...something wrong, Blake?"

Previously she had simply been taking a look around the room, but all of a sudden, Blake's face had twisted into a snarl. Following her gaze, Weiss soon figured out why.

"What's _he_ doing here?" Blake spat, her bow pushing forward threateningly.

Cardin remained silent, simply giving Weiss a look as if to say "I told you so".

"Uh, well…" she began, wringing her hands nervously, "I hired Cardin as my bodyguard for when I'm here at Aurora."

"But why _him_?" Blake demanded, pointing an accusatory finger at Cardin, "He's done nothing but torment Jaune and repeatedly discriminate against the faunus! Why would you want someone like him watching your back?"

"Hey now, Blake, let's be reasonable here!" Yang cut in, putting out an arm to hold her friend back, "It's been a while since the troubles with Jaune, and I doubt Weiss would hire someone like Cardin unless he's changed. Right, Weiss?" she asked, putting a slight edge in her tone.

The only one who seemed fine with the development was Ruby, who was currently giving Cardin's weapon a rather intense look-over.

"That's a dust mace, isn't it?" she asked finally, her eyes bright, "Aren't those kinda rare? I've only really seen them in weapons magazines."

Cardin raised a curious eyebrow.

"You're not going to question me like everyone else?"

"I'm not?" Ruby said, confused, "Didn't I already ask two questions?"

"...yes, it's a dust mace, and yes, they're rare. It's a family heirloom I inherited from my mother's side."

"Ruby!" Blake called out.

Ruby turned sharply, giving her teammate a disappointed look.

"Blake, do you trust Weiss?"

"Of course, but-"

"But what? If Weiss thinks Cardin's okay enough to be her bodyguard, he's okay enough for me. If you _really_ trust her, don't you think you should feel the same?"

"Besides." Weiss cut in, resting a hand on her desk, "Everyone deserves a second chance, don't you think? After all, a certain friend of mine taught me not to judge someone based on what they've done in the past, didn't they?"

For a time, Blake remained silent, simply staring at the floor. Soon enough, however, she found herself walking up to Cardin, giving his towering form a skeptical look.

"You've changed, have you?"

Cardin grimaced, bringing his weapon down to rest.

"Less than you'd like, I'll bet."

"And your opinions on the faunus?"

Cardin shook his head.

"...I despise the weak. All those who are given a bad lot, those who are put upon by the strong and do little to stop it...that sort deserves every ounce of disdain they get. Should the faunus rise up and fight for their equality in more than some token terrorist movement, I'll consider them as equal as any human...but that day hasn't come yet, has it?"

The tension was thick enough to cut with a knife as Blake put a hand to her weapon, her expression menacing.

"Blake…" Yang called worriedly, beginning to inch forward, "Now really isn't the time-"

"No matter how you're trying to excuse it, you're still the same bully you've always been." Blake accused, crossing her arms, "But then...maybe Ruby's right. If Weiss decided to make you her bodyguard, there must be _something_ good in that thick skull of yours."

"Whatever helps you sleep at night." Cardin retorted, turning away, "With or without your approval, I'm Weiss' bodyguard, and no amount of your petty words will make that any less true. Long as you keep that in mind, we're golden."

"Fine. Now if you don't mind-"

"He's WHAT?!" Weiss exclaimed, her expression set somewhere between confusion and disbelief as everyone looked to see what the fuss was about...save for Yang, of course, who was now wearing a rather mischievous expression as she stood by Weiss' side.

"I swear, it's true! My informant was a first-hand witness, even!"

"Huh? What's going on?"

"Oh, nothin', Rubes. Weiss is just having a little trouble getting to grips with some juicy new gossip."

"What, you mean the Jaune and Pyrrha thing?"

"I can't believe it!" Weiss shouted, rubbing her temples, "Someone like Pyrrha going off with that...that _dunderhead?_ And furthermore...gah! Was this what you were going to tell me, Cardin?"

"...I was hoping Jaune himself would be the one to let you know, else I would have cut to the chase sooner."

Unfortunately, before Weiss could fully get to grips with the situation, there came a rather insistent knocking from the doorway.

"Someone actually _knocked?_ Well, that certainly makes for a change of pace...come in!"

As soon as Weiss gave the word, the bulky door nearly got knocked off of its hinges as Pyrrha tumbled through, panting heavily.

"Weiss! Jaune...guild...assassins!" she spurted out, and as Weiss was about to ask her to calm down, Pyrrha thrust a sheet of crumpled yellow parchment into her hands.

"Read it...please…"

The handwriting was unfamiliar, if meticulously neat, and though the message was smudged in places, it didn't take long for Weiss' keen eyes to decode it.

_Dear Weiss Schnee,_

_It was an excessively foolish move to send a spy into my organisation so soon after your assassination attempt failed. If you want this 'Jaune' back alive, you will come to the Red Hunters' guild hall at 9 pm...alone. Rest assured, if I see even the slightest hint of anyone else with you, the boy's life is forfeit._

_Signed,_

_Igneus Stormcrow._

Silence fell on the group as she read the message aloud.

"It's got to be a trap." Blake commented, wriggling her bow, "One that I think you're walking into anyway."

Glancing between Pyrrha's pained expression and Blake's skeptical one, Weiss could only sigh, slumping her shoulders.

"Of course it's a trap, even an idiot could see that! But then…"

"What other choice do I have?"

* * *

><p><strong>Hiya, Soulwithlife here once again, wishing you all a Happy New Year! Apologies for this update's lateness, but as I stated in the previous author commentary, there was a bit of a surprise on New Year's Day that kept me a little preoccupied. Nevertheless, I hope you enjoy this update, and if you did (or did not, as the case may be), I'd appreciate it if you left a little something in the reviews section.<br>**

**'Till next time, folks! Toodles!**


	8. Ignite

Disclaimer: RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth and Monty Oum, not me. This is merely a fanwork meant for entertainment purposes only. Cover image courtesy of Jan Chrt (jeni-cek on deviantART). All rights reserved.

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><p>Weiss' heels cracked against the misshapen flagstones as she trudged further and further into the shadier part of Vale. Naturally, considering the threat of the Grimm always seemed far more pressing the closer you were to it, most low income housing was very near to the outer wall, and while Vale was hardly the sort of city to contain a slum, the surroundings that greeted Weiss were not all that far off. The only streetlights present were on the main path, casting an eerie blue glow upon the area when they weren't busy short-circuiting or busy not existing altogether. On the paths that the light dared not touch, many bits of junk and refuse were strewn about and, as the evening went on, Weiss found herself seeing bent assassin shapes amongst the rubbish, lying in wait for a single moment of weakness.<p>

"Not here." Weiss whispered, pressing onwards through the cool night air, "Not today."

After several minutes of agonising paranoia, it was with great relief that Weiss found what she was looking for; a lightning bolt shaped neon sign reading 'Red Hunter's Guild'. The building it belonged to was plain and unassuming, not unlike its brothers and sisters the next door down, but unlike its siblings, the Red Hunter's complex was in top condition, scrubbed from top to bottom to present what Weiss could only assume to be a professional finish. However, scanning the crimson red bricks for further information, she couldn't help but frown. Where was the door? This _was_ the correct approach, wasn't it?

Suddenly, as if to answer Weiss' queries, an eerie static noise began to ease out from the wall and, with the assistance of some turning bricks, a gleaming silver speaker revealed itself.

"Attention, visitor." a soothing soprano called out, "If you are here on an appointment, would you be so kind as to present your invitation to the viewport?"

Glancing around like a trapped mouse, Weiss scuttered over to a small black lense that had emerged beside the speaker and, as if holding some kind of vermin, gingerly waved Igneus' letter over the viewport, biting her lip as the device swept over the contents. After a piercing ringing noise sounded from the camera, it seemed it was time for the guiding voice to pipe back up.

"Thank you very much, Miss Schnee. If you will wait a moment, an escort will arrive to guide you inside shortly."

The bitter air was little comfort as Weiss was forced to wait for her 'escort', leaving her to glare menacingly at the beady black lense, hoping that it would somehow unnerve her troublesome cousin. Thankfully, merely ten seconds or so after the speaker's announcement, another section of the wall began to morph and shift, revealing a crude doorway occupied by a tall female figure. Thick silver armour glowed with its own light which, while certainly impressive, gave an odd contrast with the enormous black broadsword belted to her waist, its length pulsing with magical energy. It was all Weiss could do not to recoil in horror; despite its scabbard being etched with magical runes, a malevolent force seemed to scream into the air, asserting its dominance over any and all nearby.

"Welcome to the Red Hunter's Guild, Miss Schnee." the woman announced, her voice holding an odd hollow quality to it, "While you and your family are not well-liked in these halls, know that, for as long as my master commands it, you are under my protection. If any man, woman or Grimm wishes to engage you in combat, they will be forced to go through me first. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, ma'am." Weiss responded, speaking in the same servile tone she had often used for her father, "But may I ask to whom I currently speak?"

The woman's vacant amber eyes stared right into Weiss' own, but instead of looking _at_ her, her eyes instead seemed to peer past, much like one might do when peering into a window. 'Unnerving' didn't even _begin_ to cover it.

"Karyan." she said finally, reaching a gauntleted hand back to adjust her blood red cape, "It is not my true name, but it will do for the moment. Now, are you ready to proceed?"

Weiss barely managed to get a nod out as Karyan turned around regardless, striding through the door at a brisk enough pace that it forced Weiss to go into a half-jog. As she stepped into the guild hall proper, however, she soon realised that Karyan's statement of protection may have been entirely necessary. The only thing that outnumbered the hateful stares she was receiving from the guild members was the sheer amount of alcohol at the ground floor bar which, at least as far as she could tell, comprised the _entirety_ of the ground floor. Still, even as the patrons, in various states of inebriation, regarded her with disdain, their expressions also bore great fear for Karyan, no doubt helped along by her keeping a tight hand on her broadsword.

Eventually, Weiss and her temporary bodyguard made it over to the staircase at the end of the hall which, while it appeared to be a simple black stone at first, swiftly lit up upon contact, displaying job information for whatever contracts the Red Hunters were currently taking on. It was impressive, certainly, but Weiss couldn't help but question the practicality of such a device, especially with large quantities of alcohol so close at hand.

"Impressed, Weiss?" a adenoidal male voice slithered from somewhere to her right, "It certainly cost a pretty penny to implement...though I suppose a Schnee wouldn't understand how much that really means, would they?"

It had been at least ten years since she'd last seen Igneus, but even so, Weiss had to admit that she was caught off-guard by his appearance. Gone was the confident, muscular teen from her youth, and in his place sat a lanky young man with greasy, curly black hair, several expensive cigars sticking out of the pockets of his formal black suit and a lunar crescent earring hanging precariously from one ear. The wandering onyx eyes she so remembered hid behind opaque blue sunglasses, something that seemed especially peculiar considering the fairly low-light of the guild hall. Nevertheless, the same charismatic voice and disarming smile had remained with the man, but no matter how much Igneus tried to turn on the charm, Weiss knew well enough not to trust the man any more than she could throw him.

"No more than a Stormcrow understands wisdom, I suppose." she retorted, folding her arms. In response, Igneus let out a barely-disguised snarl, slamming a fist down onto his rich mahogany desk.

"Oh, so _you're _going to lecture _me_ about wisdom, eh? Not only did you send an assassin to kill me which, let's be honest, is a truly idiotic move in and of itself, but after that, you thought it was a _genius_ idea to send a _spy_ of all things!"

"I don't know where you get your information from, Igneus, but you should probably get it checked out. I didn't order any assassins, and if anyone from my guild came to spy on you, I assure you they did it without my consent."

"The spy seems to think otherwise. Far as he's concerned, you gave him secret sealed orders to go infiltrate my guild, and given the way he traipsed in here like he owned the damned place, I don't reckon he's smart enough to lie about it."

Weiss sighed, massaging her temples as she tried to figure out why the universe hated her so much.

"Was the document on his person?"

"Well, yeah, 'course it was. What of it?"

"Did it happen to mention anything about _you_ sending assassins?"

Igneus leaned back in his chair, picking out a cigar and absently twirling it in his fingers.

"Hm, now that you mention it, yeah, it did. I just assumed it was the usual Schnee brainwash bullshit that your dad always tries to pull."

"It very well might be, but it certainly isn't me doing the brainwashing. Last night I was visited by a Black Arrow, and while he obviously failed in his task, he claimed that he was sent by you. Can I assume that your confrontation went similarly?"

"...you think someone's trying to set us up?"

"I don't think they're trying, Igneus. Considering I'm already here, I think they've succeeded."

Reaching into one of his many pockets, Igneus pulled out a lighter, leaning even further back as he set his cigar alight, puffing softly as his brain worked away.

"Let's assume for a moment that you're not just giving me typical Schnee bullshit and you're actually telling the truth, as unlikely as that is already. What does this idiot get by sending your blonde boy off to my guild? Did they think that I would simply execute him, and by doing so, get us at each other's throats? Because honestly, before young Jaune decided to pay me a visit, I was planning on just dropping by your lovely little guild hall and razing it to the ground. So, I ask again...what exactly does this guy get from making us compare notes? Isn't that exactly what they want to avoid?"

"I...I don't know." Weiss admitted, "The only possibility I can think of is that they wanted us both in this building tonight, but I have no idea for what."

It started off slowly at first. If she had to compare it to anything, it was somewhat like feeling your heat ebb away in a pool of chilly water, but in a matter of seconds, the chill upgraded into a positive blizzard. Weiss desperately tried to stay standing, to stay awake, but as every second passed, a little more of her energy fled from her body. As she felt her legs giving in, Weiss tried to locate the source of the drain, realising that what she had previously mistaken as an insignificant bauble on Igneus' desk was in fact much, much worse.

She couldn't move anymore; hell, it was all she could do to keep _thinking_. Perhaps everything would be okay if she just...had a nap…

_Oh no you don't!_

The spherical device on the desk began to grow and expand, now having reached roughly the size of a football, and even as Weiss felt herself gradually slip into unconsciousness, _something_ was keeping her awake. Having completely lost control of her limbs, she could only watch as a bright pink aura covered her skin, somehow protecting her from the sphere's vile absorption.

"Now this simply won't do, will it?" a voice complained from Weiss' lips, pushing herself into a standing position, "Let's see...where _did_ that boy get to?"

In a flash of pink light, Weiss vanished from the guild hall, leaving behind the few Red Hunters unaffected to deal with the device. Igneus was coughing and cursing as he crawled away, desperately searching for something in his pockets while his strength continued to wane. Karyan, meanwhile, seemed unaffected by the device, snarling with anger as she brought her sword down onto it with as much force as she could muster.

Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock.

* * *

><p>Jaune ached all over as he cracked his eyes awake, not quite comprehending as Weiss stood in front of him, cloaked in pink aura. This was a hallucination, right?<p>

"Hello, Jaune." someone said, smiling warmly.

_Of course it's a hallucination. They said they were just going to leave me down in the caverns to rot, right?_

"I'd recommend covering your ears, by the way. It's about to get _really_ noisy!"

"Yes, Weiss…" Jaune mumbled, semi-delirious as he cupped his mucky hands around his ears.

"Weiss?"

Even through his cushioned ears, Jaune couldn't help but hear the ear-splitting boom from up above, flinching as bits and pieces of rock began pouring from the roof. Still, the cavern just about held up from the blast and, looking up, Jaune realised that his hallucination was giving him a disappointed finger waggle.

"That's _Bianca_ to you, thank you very much!"

* * *

><p><strong>Hiya, everyone! Soulwithlife here. How're you doing today?<strong>

**With this chapter release, I'm announcing a return to weekly chapters on Thursdays, with any bonus chapters being posted on Sunday. Any questions, comments, anything? Post it in the reviews, and I'll get on that like butter on toast! Y'know, unless you're asking about spoilers. I ain't touching that stuff.**

**'Till next time, all!**


	9. Cave Story

Disclaimer: RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth and Monty Oum, not me. This is merely a fanwork meant for entertainment purposes only. Cover image courtesy of Jan Chrt (jeni-cek on deviantART). All rights reserved.

* * *

><p>It hadn't been an easy day for Jaune. Sure, it had started out well, what with the whole 'Pyrrha and I are somehow a thing now holy crap how did that happen' debacle. Unfortunately, this was most definitely the high point of his day, since once he received the letter from 'Weiss' requesting he infiltrate the Red Hunter compound, Jaune had a sneaking suspicion that things were going to go downhill, and even if he tried to go in the other direction, they were going to continue dragging him with them whether he liked it or not.<p>

"...so anyway, that's how I ended up in the tunnels beneath Vale. Er, I think that's where we are, anyway." Jaune finished, brushing bits of loose debris from his hair, "So how'd you get down here W- er, Bianca?"

"Oh, I just teleported here." she replied offhandedly, pacing back and forth over the cracked cavern floor, "There was a bomb that was going to go off in the main building, so I needed to make sure my niece here made it out alive. It just wouldn't do to be without a host at such a pivotal time, now would it?"

Jaune brought himself up in a standing position, checking over his usual garb to make sure everything was in place. It _seemed_ like nothing had been damaged in the chaos, but there _was_ something missing. Something important.

"Er, Bianca?"

"Yeees, Jaune?"

"Did you see my weapon up there? Maybe propped up against a wall or something?"

Bianca massaged her temples and, as she did so, proceeded to fall flat on her face onto the ground.

"Weiss- er, Bianca! Are you alright?"

Jaune found it was a lot like holding jelly as he struggled to prop Bianca up against a wall, her face set in frustration.

"Gah, why does she have to be so _tall_ and _skinny!_" she whined, "It's like trying to walk in heels, except...well, I'm already wearing heels, I suppose."

Bianca pouted.

"It's- it's like walking in _two_ pairs of heels! Do you have any idea how _hard_ that is?!"

"Er, Bianca?"

"What do you- oh, right, your weapon. I don't _remember_ seeing anything up there, no, but if you're worried about it being caught in the blast, you're likely better turning your attention elsewhere. I mean, if all it took to destroy a legendary weapon was an itty bitty explosion, I bet they'd all be long gone by now, hm?"

"I guess you're-"

"And besides, what do you need that thing for, anyway? _I_ have my weapon, and I think you'll find I'm much more competent with it than Weiss ever was!"

BOOMF. Bianca had managed to trip over her own feet. Again.

"...this proves nothing!" she protested, putting on a very wobbly effort to get upright, "Er, okay, maybe it proves _something_. Something _dumb_. Stupid stilt legs…"

Making an almost emoticon-like melancholic expression, Bianca fumbled at her belt, drawing Zinnia to its full length and, not a second later, dropping it on the floor.

"This...er…this doesn't normally happen, I swear!"

"Is Weiss still in there?"

"Yup, but she's sleeeeeepy. Whatever that bomb thing was, it drained her dry as a desert, so she's going to need some time to recharge before I can let her back in the driver's seat."

"_If_ you let her back in the driver's seat."

Bianca tilted her head to the side, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh, so _now_ you bring up the moral implications of possessing a functionally unconscious individual. And here I thought it'd be the _first_ thing you'd say!"

"For someone who's struggling to walk, you sure did dance around that statement pretty well."

"If I wanted my sentences over-analysed, I'd write a book. Lay off, butthead."

"_Butthead_? What are you, ten?"

"Thirteen, actually! Now if you'll stop arguing for a moment, maybe we can actually make a plan of action. Want to know what step one is?"

"...pick up the sword?"

"Yeeees, that would be a good idea, Jaune, unless you were planning to fight any Grimm we come across with those noodly arms of yours."

"At least I can _control _my noodles, Miss Bumbles." Jaune retorted, wrapping his hand around Zinnia's hilt and bringing it up to the...light?

"Wait, where's all of this light coming from, anyway? I didn't notice any torches coming in."

"Look closely at the walls and ceiling, Jaune. Who knows, maybe you'll actually learn something?"

Disregarding Bianca's snippy tone, Jaune cautiously approached the nearest wall and, looking it over with a more thorough eye, he soon spotted little varicoloured shards embedded within, each emitting a surprising amount of light.

"What is this stuff?"

"Unrefined dust crystals, or at least, what was left of them after the miners had their way. Back when I was still alive, the caverns beneath Vale were still a reasonably new discovery, but I guess there's been a lot of work put into them since then."

"So they just left them here?"

"Looks that way, and from the feel of things, there's a few Grimm who've decided to take up residence here in the meantime. If we're going to make it out of here in one piece, you're going to need to use Zinnia to its full effectiveness."

"I was about to ask about that, actually."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, 'cause I was wondering why you have these dust thingies on your weapon if your semblance is teleportation."

"I _can_ do it through glyphs, you know, but I feel like you're missing the point somewhat. You realise that you don't need a glyph semblance to use Zinnia, right?"

"I don't?"

"It's not your ordinary dust rapier, Jaune, if there ever was such a thing. Just pull the trigger and...poof! Dust projectiles."

"And they gave this to a thirteen year old?"

"Well my brother got _his_ weapon at the same time, so they didn't think it would be particularly fair if I didn't receive mine when _I_ hit thirteen."

"That doesn't really...you know what? Nevermind. I don't really want to hear about Schnee family politics right now...or ever, if I can get away with it."

"Yeah, you're probably right. Beneath all the murder and subterfuge, I guess we _are_ pretty boring."

"Uh huh. Wait, hold on, I just thought of another thing."

"Good golly, will wonders never cease? What's that now, _two_ unique thoughts? In a row? Is that some kind of personal record?"

"Dust, you're worse than Weiss sometimes." Jaune grumbled, "At least her snark didn't get in the way of actually doing things...most of the time."

"Hey, _you_ try reverting to toddler-like body control sometime. I'm sure you'll find the experience just _lovely_."

"Fair do's, but let's try and stick to the point. I mean, you teleported to get down here, right?"

"Mmhm."

"So can you teleport us back up?"

"Yyyyyy- no, not really."

"Why not?"

"Well, I managed to get down here because I had your aura signature to reassure me that it wasn't just blank rock, but I can't feel anything from up above us."

"What's that got to do with anything?"

"Imagine if you had to walk around with a blindfold on for a bit, except that, instead of bumping into things in your way, you could end up walking _inside them._ Are you really feeling _that_ lucky?"

"...so that's a no?"

"I've died once already, Jaune; if at all possible, I'd rather not make a repeat performance."

"In that case, what about _this_ one?"

Since the way back was essentially a dead end, there was really only one way forward. Unfortunately, as the pair wandered up and around the bend of the cavern, they soon found themselves confronting a huge metal mesh, essentially barring them off from the rest of the tunnel system.

"You want me to take us over to the other side, right?" Bianca asked, holding onto one of the walls for support.

"That was the idea, at least. Can you do it?"

"I don't see why not. I mean, I teleported an entire _mansion_ before, so what's a stilt-legged girl and a lanky boy to that, hm?"

"Hey! I am _not_-"

BAMF.

"-lanky?" Jaune finished, the feeling of momentarily not existing leaving him a little short of breath. From the looks of things, the tunnel now split into two paths, and while it was a little difficult to pinpoint which one it was coming from, Jaune definitely heard a faint growling noise emanating into their portion of the cavern.

"That...doesn't sound good."

"What, you don't think it's some kind of Grimm bunny rabbit?"

Jaune readied Zinnia as a strange rumbling began flowing through the floor, followed by an even stronger growl. Suddenly, the earth to Jaune's left began to rupture, and from out of it sprung an enormous mole-like creature, it's characteristic white Grimm claws coming in for a slice to his neck. Just in time, however, Jaune managed to step backwards and, wielding Zinnia much like a club, slammed the weapon down hard onto the mole Grimm, sending it careening off into the cavern proper, snarling.

"It's a _rapier,_ Jaune, not a longsword! _Thrust,_ don't slash!"

Trying to remember what he'd seen from Weiss' practical demonstrations at Beacon, it was only by a stroke of luck that he realised the mole was coming in for another attack and, unable to dodge this time, put up a shield to block the attack, momentarily stunning the mole. Taking the opportunity, Jaune gripped Zinnia with both hands, slamming the point down right into the Grimm's torso. Unfortunately, this particular Grimm didn't seem content to give up without a fight, and, with Zinnia still embedded within it, the creature began digging down with tremendous force, trying its best to tear the weapon out from Jaune's grip.

"The trigger! Pull the trigger!"

His obedience instinct finally kicking in, Jaune's index finger curled around Zinnia's decorated trigger and, with a firm pull, launched out what appeared to be some fantastical fire and ice mixture into the Grimm. An unholy shrieking pierced the air for a moment, before being cut away to make room for silence.

"...not too bad, Jaune." Bianca commented, walking over to inspect the Grimm's swiftly disintegrating corpse, "I can tell you're not used to the weapon, though."

"I definitely miss Crocea Mors right now, but if this thing keeps me alive, I don't really care if I look like a complete moron using it."

"No kidding with that one."

BEEP BEEP BEEP.

"Huh? Sounds kinda like a...scroll?"

Jaune gave Bianca a hard look as she rifled through her pockets, eventually pulling out the familiar thin shape of Beacon's touted touchscreen devices.

"Nnnope, looks like some kind of tech to me."

"It's...that's the name of it, Bianca. A scroll."

"Ooooh, I get it. So I guess I just- bah!"

As Bianca pressed a finger against the scroll's surface, the slippery tech suddenly flew out of her grasp, smacking into a jutting dust crystal in the wall with a worrying CRACK.

"...woops?"

Just as Jaune considered whether or not going off on some kind of tirade would be a good idea, the scroll began perking up, a slightly garbled message coming through the speakers.

"Weiss…" Ruby's slightly distorted voice sounded, her tone tinged with concern, "If you're still alive, _please_ send us a message back as soon as you can! We were all standing by in case you needed us, but then everything just sort of...exploded! It was horrible! Cardin's digging through the wreckage right now, but he's not finding anything...please be still alive. _Please._"

Bianca glanced towards Jaune.

"That girl...she cares about Weiss a lot, doesn't she?"

"Yeah, I guess they _do_ seem pretty good friends." Jaune muttered enviously.

"Friends? That's not quite how _I_ was reading it."

"What?"

"Nevermind, Jaune. Right now, we need to focus on getting topside, and _fast_. You might have taken care of the Grimm from earlier fairly well, but there's no telling how many might still be in here. For all we know, we might be the only living things...for miles…"

Bianca stopped, peering over to one of the tunnel exits.

"Do you hear that?"

"There's this sort of humming sound…"

"That's just the crystals, Jaune. Listen closer."

Straining his ears as hard as he dared, Jaune put all of his focus into listening, perhaps for the first time in his life. For a second, he was quick to dismiss it as nothing but, after a while, there _did_ seem to be something...metallic?

"I hear it."

"It's coming this way, Jaune!"

"Damn it...come on, to the walls!"

Scrambling over to the sides of the tunnel, Bianca and Jaune pressed themselves against them as far as they dared, thankful for the odd rocky outcrop that made spotting them a little less easy. The pair could only wait as the metallic sound increased in volume, until finally, a figure Bianca recognised as Karyan stomped out from the right tunnel, her cape in complete tatters. Coming to a stark halt as she entered the chamber, Karyan began scanning the room with the same amber eyes that had so pierced through Weiss before. After a few seconds, Karyan drew her sword, walking straight towards Bianca.

_I remember her...she was the one who caught me when I tried to sneak into the guild hall! What do I do, what do I do?_

As Jaune prepared Zinnia for some kind of surprise attack, Karyan once again came to a halt, using her free hand to put up a 'stop' symbol in his direction.

SHNK. With strength that rivalled Nora, Karyan slammed her broadsword into the ground, and, perhaps due to the nature of the sword itself, it slid into it like soft butter. Her work apparently done, Karyan resumed her inexorable march, and if not for Jaune, it was possible she would have left without saying a word.

"Wait!"

Karyan turned, her expression dead.

"What did you do?" Jaune asked, trying his best not to look towards the sword.

Karyan merely shrugged.

"Gave you a fighting chance."

Karyan resumed her walk, undeterred.

"Don't waste it."

As the intimidating figure melted into the shadows, the clanking of her boots ceased...but, unfortunately, that did not mean it was silent.

"Jaune?"

A cacophony of Grimm cries seemed to shake the very earth as hundreds of ivory monstrosities rushed out of the tunnels, every single one of them seeming to want only one thing; Bianca.

"Jaune!"

There was no choice. There wasn't even the _thought_ of a choice.

Jaune gripped the sword.

* * *

><p><strong>Soulwithlife here once again, delivering another tasty chapter of None Of Your Business! Bon appetit, mes amis!<strong>

**In any case, I must say that I'm feeling a lot more comfortable with a weekly posting schedule and, unless I say otherwise, new chapters will continue to be posted every Thursday from now on (or in this case, the very very early hours of Friday T_T). I'm juggling a lot of other projects at the moment, including my own sci-fi novel, so having a little more leeway in updating this is definitely a weight off my shoulders.**

**So, what did you think of this week's chapter? Things you liked? Things you didn't like? Things you got confused about and googled and still stayed confused? Not to worry, my friends! For all of this and more, simply pop a little something in the reviews section, and your wish will be my command! Unless it's spoilers, anyway. Those are seeeecret.**

**'Till next time, readers!**


	10. The Slayer

Disclaimer: RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth and Monty Oum, not me. This is merely a fanwork meant for entertainment purposes only. Cover image courtesy of Jan Chrt (jeni-cek on deviantART). All rights reserved.

* * *

><p>"Jaune...what happened to you?"<p>

As Jaune grabbed the weapon embedded in the ground, it was if time had ground to a halt as dark energy surged up its hilt, rushed up Jaune's arm and enveloping him in a nebula through which nought but deep blackness could be seen. The Grimm, too, had stopped in place, their beady eyes watching in something between curiosity and a kind of respect, if there was such a thing amongst their kind. However, as the impenetrable orb around Jaune began to dissolve, drawing its essence into his body, the Grimm changed their tune; here and there, whimpers were heard above the howling wind that now whipped through the room, and even stranger, a few of them turned into a full-on retreat.

Not that they ever made it to the exits, of course.

A kind of dark electricity rushing through his body, Jaune swung the blade in an imperious arc, and in a flash, the running Grimm found themselves impaled upon organic purple spikes, their length oozing with a liquid that seemed almost eldritch in nature. The worst thing, however, was how the spikes only seemed to harm and contain the Grimm; even as the poor creatures screamed at a pitch that ruptured the ears, they could find no release from their pain, prevented from disintegration by whatever malevolent force possessed the blade. Seeing this, the comrades who had remained to watch turned hostile once more, most of them surrounding Jaune in a circle and the rest rushing over to Bianca.

_What...what do I do? I don't have enough aura left for another teleport, and Jaune is…_

Ignoring the various Grimm that had him 'trapped', Jaune turned on the spot to face Bianca, his face set in a monstrous rage.

"MINE!" he roared at the top of his lungs and, with another swing of the blade, sent a whirl of tenebrous pellets at lightning speed, leaving the targeted Grimm with more holes than body. The ones surrounding him, meanwhile, saw ample opportunity to strike, diving towards him simultaneously and efficiently as their teeth and claws attempted to find purchase in his vein-covered skin. For a moment, the plan seemed to work, and it wasn't long before the Grimm's natural weapons tore Jaune's form to shreds, leaving nothing but the remnants of his clothing in their wake.

...and yet, even as the Grimm held victory in their grasp, they whined, looking around in confusion. Where was the blood, the gore? All that had poured from Jaune's corpse was a fine purple mist, and while several of the creatures tried their best to devour it, the mist simply passed straight through them, slowly collecting until Jaune was reformed, garbed in armour that pulsed an ugly, tainted red, its horned helmet completely open to allow Jaune's macabre smile to pierce through.

"FACE ME, WORMS!"

Now completely ignoring Bianca, the Grimm looked to surround the new threat as they had before, but unfortunately, Jaune wasn't staying in one place for long. Brief flashes could be seen of him as the air around the Grimm thickened, an unholy flurry of swings sending talons and torsos flying against the walls, and, amongst it all, Jaune laughed like an absolute madman, completely engrossed in his work. Finally, after the last Grimm corpse thrashed along the ground, eventually dissolving, Jaune snapped his fingers and, with a last yelp, the Grimm on the spikes were finally allowed the sweet embrace of death.

Then, he turned to Bianca.

He smiled.

"J-Jaune...are you...okay?" Bianca asked waveringly, desperately looking this way and that for some kind of escape.

"AURA!" Jaune bellowed, his voice a multi-faceted horror, "MINE!"

As Jaune charged towards her, Bianca was forced into panic mode, using the absolute last of her aura reserves to teleport her to the other side of the metal mesh that had stopped her and Jaune's progress before, hoping, _praying_ that the creature couldn't follow her.

"MINE, MINE, MINE!"

Bianca had broke out into a run, realising all too quickly that the mesh wouldn't hold for a second against the torrent of blows sent towards it but, sadly, her control of Weiss' body was lacking once again. Tripping over as the mesh was blasted into the side wall, Bianca was forced to crawl as Jaune came ever closer, his laugh a low, ominous chuckle.

"No…" Bianca whimpered aloud, her face buried into the cavern floor, "It can't...end like this…"

At the very tip of despair, Bianca stopped fighting it, tears running down her cheeks as Jaune lifted her chin up from the ground, the claws on his gauntlets digging into her flesh.

"IT CAN'T?"

He chuckled.

"SUCH A SHAME THAT IT ALREADY HAS."

However, as Jaune dug his claws in harder, preparing for dust-knows what, there emanated a persistent crashing sound from up above them. If she had to compare it to anything, Bianca would have thought it to be another kind of Grimm mole, albeit an incredibly fast one. Snarling, Jaune grabbed Bianca by the throat, sending her flying against a wall as an earthen-clad figure flew out of the ceiling at ludicrous speed, its arrival shaking many of the dust crystals out of their sockets. Wasting no time, the figure gripped its enormous mace with both hands, pointing it threateningly towards Jaune.

Jaune snarled.

"WHO ARE YOU?" he demanded.

The figure slammed the hilt of his mace into the ground.

"My name is Spade."

The square of ground beneath Jaune's feet shot upwards, slamming him into the ceiling.

"And if you don't get away from her, you'll end up a lot deeper than six feet under."

* * *

><p><em>Weiss!<em>

_...hrrmgh…_

_Weiss, come on, get up!_

_Need to...sleep..._

_Come on, Weiss! He needs your help!_

Her entire body ached as Weiss cracked her eyes open, trying her best to survey an environment that seemed almost non-Euclidean in its chaos. What had once been a uniform cavern floor was turned upside down in all kinds of strange places, jutting out in precise shapes that were perfectly cuboid, soon followed by a vaguely humanoid outline or two in the ceiling. Really, though, the upturned earth was the least of the peculiarities; here and there, purple-black spikes poked out from the walls and ceiling, their surface quivering in excitement as they waited anxiously to catch an unsuspecting combatant.

FWOOSH.

_Was that...Cardin?_

If she didn't know any better, Weiss might have guessed that Ruby was in this battle somewhere, considering how hard it was to keep track of its participants. Something that looked like Jaune teleported here and there, swinging Karyan's runic blade like a maddened berserker, and meanwhile, Cardin melted in and out of the ground, coming up at random intervals to make a surprise attack with his enormous mace. However, even as the weapon bit into Jaune's sword arm, its impact seemed negligible, and Jaune merely brought his other arm in for a gauntleted punch, sending Cardin flying back into the nearest wall, though, thankfully, his armour seemed to keep him intact.

_Weiss, you need to help him! He can't win this fight on his own!_

_You...who are you? Why are you in my head?_

_Bianca, and the latter can be answered later. Right now, you need to focus on getting up and doing something about Jaune._

_What happened to him? He looks...different._

_I don't know! He grabbed that weird looking sword from the ground when a load of Grimm attacked, and now he's all crazy mode or something! If it weren't for Spade, we'd both be dead...or worse._

BOOM.

_I'm just not sure what I can do. From the looks of it, he's just regenerating from whatever Cardin can throw at him. What can I…?_

Looking to her side, Weiss found that she was now holding Zinnia, though she never actually remembered feeling it in her hands. Still, now that it was here…

_You have an idea?_

_I do, but it's going to take time._

_We don't _have_ time!_

_We will if I can get my scroll. Ugh, where is it?_

In a flash of pink, Weiss' scroll popped out from the wreckage it had been buried under, returning to Weiss' outstretched hands in...workable condition.

_There, you've got your tech crap. Now what?_

Flipping the scroll over, Weiss thanked her lucky stars that the device's back-panels were undamaged, moving over a particularly loose one to reveal a small, red button. Still weak as a newborn babe, Weiss only just managed to press it down, sighing wearily as the screen began to flash a soft green.

Meanwhile, Cardin was beginning to show signs of fatigue as Jaune grew more and more impatient, his blade currently caught in Cardin's grip. Still, little by little, the blade began inching closer to Cardin's face and, with his aura nearly depleted and his mace knocked to one side, he was beginning to run out of options.

"GIVE UP!" Jaune roared, "YOU ARE VANQUISHED!"

Cardin grimaced, using the last of his reserves to send a sharp roundhouse kick towards Jaune's stomach, sending him sprawling onto the ground. Unfortunately, it was mere milliseconds before Jaune was back on his feet, and with no strength left to fight, Cardin merely knelt down, clapping his hands together as Jaune gathered an orb of dark energy in his free hand, laughing maniacally all the while.

"YOU FIGHT WELL...BUT NOW, YOUR SOUL IS _MI- _EURGH!"

The orb completely evaporated as Jaune realised he had a rather large problem. Large in that it was important, and also large in that the scythe currently embedded in his chest was absolutely enormous. However, as he attempted to heal the wound, dragging the scythe out in the process, he found that various injuries suddenly began appearing all over his body in quick succession, and no matter what he did, he couldn't possibly fix them faster than they were being made. He tried thrashing out with his sword, but the sword arm's muscles were completely severed, and unless he completely reformed, not even dark magic was going to make it move.

"Hey, bartender!"

Even as he continued to sustain injuries, Jaune couldn't help but glance incredulously at the girl in white by the wall. Was she talking to _him? _And what was that...that wave-thing she was doing with her sword?

Wait, the ground...what was on the ground?

"I'll take my Jaune on ice."

There wasn't quite enough time for Jaune to react, and as what remained of his body quickly became encased, he could only really think one thing.

_OH. AN ICE GLYPH._

CHNK.

…

The combat ended, Ruby sheathed Crescent Rose, walking over to her weary team-mate.

"It's okay, Weiss. It's over now."

Slowly but surely, Weiss lowered her hand, letting Zinnia drop to the floor with a loud clatter.

"...Ruby?"

"Yes?"

"I...I don't think I can walk."

"Oh. I guess it's a good job you have a strong team leader to help then, huh?"

Too weak to physically protest, Weiss could only squeak pathetically as Ruby picked her up bridal carry style, grinning all the while. However, as her gaze flickered over to Jaune's frozen form, her smile began to dim.

"Is he…?"

"He's alive." Cardin cut in, having completely shed his earthen armour, "For a given definition of alive, anyway."

"Why, 'cause he's frozen?"

Cardin sighed, returning his mace to its rightful place.

"Not exactly. If that sword is what I think it is, the thing you have encased in ice there is just Jaune's body. It's a husk."

"So...what does that mean? Where's his soul?"

Cardin pointed a finger towards the sword.

"In there."

"Trapped."

* * *

><p><strong>Gods above, this one turned out <em>way<em> longer than I thought it would! And, um, as a result, it was released almost three hours late. Woops. Sorry!**

**Anyways, back to the usual stuff. I would _super duper_ appreciate it if you would leave a review or send me a PM, though rest assured, it _is_ gratifying when I see people favouriting my story and such. It's just a little bit _moreso_ when they also give me feedback in the reviews, ya know? Come ooooon, help a guy out here!**

**Ahem. 'Till next week, folks!**


	11. Fallout

Disclaimer: RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth and Monty Oum, not me. This is merely a fanwork meant for entertainment purposes only. Cover image courtesy of Jan Chrt (jeni-cek on deviantART). All rights reserved.

* * *

><p>Birds chirped through the open window as the soft smell of lavender floated through the air, perhaps to grant a certain degree of peace to the room's occupants. To Weiss' bedside, an adorable brown teddy bear sat, holding a red heart with the phrase 'get well soon'. It was quiet...calm. Peaceful.<p>

Yet, a little to her right, draped across the adjacent bed like a ragdoll, was the body of Jaune, and the morn was naught but bitter.

"Are you done wallowing in guilt, or should I come back later?"

Weiss frowned as she eyed the translucent girl currently 'leaning' against one of the infirmary's walls.

"...Bianca?"

"A representation of me." Bianca corrected, sighing, "Without a physical body, I'm afraid this is all I can manifest. Pathetic, really, but I thought you might prefer it to talking through thoughts alone...assuming you _want_ to talk."

Weiss glanced back to Jaune, her mind racing through the events of the previous evening.

"I'd like some answers to my questions, now that we're not underground and on the brink of death."

"I suppose that's fair." Bianca mumbled reluctantly, "Though I doubt I'll have the answers to _all_ of your questions."

"Then just answer what you can...and if I might suggest a first question, your identity might be a good start."

Bianca raised a questioning eyebrow.

"Spade didn't tell you?"

"I thought it best not to ask at the time, considering how subdued he seemed."

"Aw, he looks so cute when he goes like that, don't you think?"

Weiss narrowed her eyes.

"What? Eurgh, _fine. _My name's Bianca Schnee, daughter of Elgin Schnee and former heiress to the Schnee Corporation. You know, before I _died_."

"Oh? My father never mentioned a sister." Weiss noted curiously.

"If he's anything like his younger self, Orin never mentions a lot of things." Bianca retorted, "No doubt he'd prefer it if people forgot I even existed, which I'd imagine would be pretty easy with all of my records still buried with the manor."

"There _was_ an odd pink room in there when I made my visit...I assume that was yours?"

"It was, yes. Daddy never really approved of my deviance from our familial colour scheme of drab white, but with enough puppy dog eyes on my part, I eventually managed to win him over."

"Grandpa Schnee? I always thought he was a very stoic man."

"He was...to the general public, at least. At home, he was about as doting as a dad can get."

Bianca sighed sadly.

"He probably died a long time ago, didn't he?"

"I never knew him growing up, so I guess you could say that. People seemed to think he died after seeing my father take the company in the wrong direction, but from what you've said about him, it might have been the pain of losing you catching up to him."

Bianca looked down to the floor, her expression devastated.

"...I wish he were here right now. He'd know what to do about Jaune...he always knew what to do."

The conversation paused as Bianca tried to pull herself together, shaking her head.

"Enough about Daddy. Was there something else you wanted to know?"

"A lot of things, but I'll try and keep it relevant. How exactly do you know Jaune? Was it at the manor, or did you meet after that?"

"No, it was at the manor, though at the time, I thought it would be our _last_ meeting as well as our first. See, I was bound to the aura font below the manor, and when you managed to bumble into Alice upstairs, Jaune started getting really worried about you. Gave me this moral ultimatum mumbo-jumbo about my sort-of-life being less important than your full-fledged one, and I suppose it worked on me at the time. After that, he stuck his sword into the font, transforming it from its base form to Crocea Eversor, the first Grimm Slayer, and presumably using it to save your life."

"I see...so how exactly are you here right now? Wouldn't Jaune absorbing the font's aura have killed you?"

"That's what I thought, too, but it turns out my lucky stars must have been shining on that particular day. When Jaune used my aura in the fight against Alice, I was temporarily transferred into the Grimm herself...and, when you stabbed her, I _then_ bounced into Zinnia. After that, it was just a case of passively absorbing very small amounts of your aura over time until I had the strength to actually affect my surroundings."

"That can't be right, surely. If people's souls can be stored inside hunter weapons, why haven't I heard about it? One would think such a pivotal fact would be fairly well-known, especially considering how long hunters and huntresses have been around."

Bianca rolled her eyes.

"Are you using a trampoline to jump to all of those conclusions, or did you do it all by yourself?"

"If we're calling 'the knowledge source missing out key details' a trampoline, then yes, I suppose I did." Weiss retorted.

"Hey, it's not _my_ fault you never bothered to read _The Legend of the Grimm Slayers_. If you ask me, schools like Beacon should have it as required reading. It _is_ a classic, after all."

"I'll request a copy from the library at a later date." Weiss replied brusquely, "But right now, I'd appreciate a quick synopsis, assuming you can stop yourself from going into another monologue."

"Why you...eurgh, whatever. I assume your meager education has covered the basics of a hunter's weapon, at least?"

"Of course. A hunter's weapon is one of their strongest assets, aside from their semblance, and the materials used to create them allow them to be imbued with a hunter's aura, increasing the weapon's durability and strength as long as it remains in the hunter's possession."

"That's...an adequate way of putting it, I suppose, and perhaps I'll continue using your terminology to make things simpler. Imagine, if you will, a hunter weapon that not only conducted aura as a means of strengthening itself, but also stored it, like a kind of battery. Then, once the battery becomes full, it allows the wielder to unleash a truly devastating power. _That_ is a Grimm Slayer."

"There's more to it, I gather."

"A lot more, but I'll try and keep things brief. The Grimm Slayers were all made around a century ago by a kind of legendary smith, master of her art and one of the first to pioneer the materials that eventually became the standard of modern hunter weapons. The Grimm Slayers were simply the next logical step and, for good or bad, the smith only ended up making seven of them. Crocea Mors, or Crocea Eversor, was the first."

"And the others?"

"Purpura Salvator, Hyacintho Nuntius, Viridi Custos, Vexillum Rubeus and Emundans Albus."

"Which one is Zinnia?"

Bianca frowned.

"Zinnia isn't any of them, because Zinnia _isn't_ a Grimm Slayer. All it does is mimic one by acting as soul storage; it unfortunately doesn't have the same contract or power-up mechanic as a _true_ Grimm Slayer."

"Hm...so if Zinnia isn't one of them, that leaves six, including Crocea Eversor. What's the last one?"

Bianca bit her lip.

"...Ater Mors, the sword Jaune used in the caverns. The soul eater."

Weiss shivered as she remembered the sheer malevolence the sword had emitted.

"Are they all like that?"

"Sort of, but not in the way you're thinking. See, the point of a Grimm Slayer is that it's an exchange, one which can sometimes lead to the user's death. Crocea Eversor is a sort of promise; 'for as long as I continue to fight Grimm, I will be granted the power to defeat them'. It lusts for the destruction of its enemies, and in the absence of that, it requires a memento from its user. Half of their soul, to be precise."

"_What?_ I thought you said Ater Mors was the soul eater!"

"That's because Ater is to Crocea what a thief is to a merchant. While Crocea temporarily takes a portion of your soul, Ater slows siphons away _all_ of it, until you're left with nothing but an empty shell, one which Ater quickly inhabits."

"Is that what happened down in the tunnels?"

"No; as far as I can tell, Jaune was a special case. Since part of his soul was already embedded within Crocea Eversor, Ater had a rather large gap to sneak through and take control. Granted, it's possible Jaune might have been able to break its hold at times, which was unfortunately not an option for its previous wielders, but even so, it would be a very risky business."

"Has...has anyone ever retrieved a soul from Ater?"

Bianca shook her head sadly.

"Does that mean he'll be stuck like this? ...for good?"

Bianca shrugged.

"It's hard to say. Bringing Crocea Eversor to him might restore a portion of his soul, but that still leaves another half that's not coming back."

"You don't know that!"

"You're right, Weiss. I don't." Bianca admitted, "But I _do_ know that no one's ever succeeded with it in the past, so it's not like you can just consult a history book here. Anything you try would have to start afresh, and it's always going to carry the risk of making things even worse."

"How could things be any worse than they are already?!" Weiss cried, bringing her fists down upon the bed, "Jaune's permanently unconscious, both of my feet are sprained, and top it all off, I have no idea how my business is doing right now! For all I know, it might have burned to the ground, and I'd just be sitting here talking to my dead aunt about ancient weapons and...and…"

Weiss' lip wavered as she tried to hold back the tears.

"And if I hadn't made Aurora in the first place, none of this would have happened! Jaune wouldn't have been captured by the Red Hunters, I wouldn't have wasted my time on something that was destined to bring calamity, and my friends wouldn't have been forced to sit through my snappy attitude as I desperately tried to pull everything together!"

Bianca frowned as her niece proceeded to break into tears, trying to formulate some way to comfort her despite her non-existent tact. However, after scanning the surrounding area, she soon realised that she didn't actually need to.

"Er, Weiss?"

No response.

"You _do_ realise there are three people on the other side of the door, right?"

Even in her despondent state, Weiss couldn't help but look up as the poor infirmary door burst off its hinges, sending three colourful shapes tumbling in and, miraculously, managing not to hit any of the densely packed beds. After hastily brushing herself off, Ruby was the first to get up from the pile, rushing over to Weiss' bedside with a bouquet of white roses in hand. Blake, meanwhile, was having a little more trouble rising off of the floor, probably because the somewhat heavier form of Yang was right on top of her.

"Oops, sorry Blake. Alley-oop!"

However, as Yang started to rise, she found that the Blake below her was no longer quite as solid as it had been and, with comical timing that probably wasn't physically possible, was allowed a short pause before promptly faceplanting onto the floor.

"Why…why have you betrayed me so?!" Yang exclaimed melodramatically.

"Maybe you'll keep your hands to yourself next time." Blake replied, turning her gaze to the Bianca's curious form, "And no, before you say anything, it wasn't an accident."

"But the Bellabooty~"

Meanwhile, over in the slightly less insane portion of the room, Weiss was caught up in one of Ruby's hugs and, despite some mumbled protests, was actually rather enjoying it. Not _too _much, of course, otherwise Ruby might start getting ideas. _Friendly_ ideas.

"Okay, Ruby, I'm not crying anymore. You can let go now. Really."

"Awwwww."

"Besides, you _still _need to explain what you three stooges were doing on the other side of the door."

Ruby let go of Weiss, her eyes darting from side to side.

"Er..._not_ eavesdropping?"

Weiss facepalmed.

"Yang, Blake? Any other excuses?"

"Oh, no. We were _definitely_ dropping some eaves."

"Yang!" Ruby protested.

"Okay, we were _originally_ just coming to deliver a message, but then Blake heard you talking to Bianca here and, well…"

"You didn't want to interrupt?"

"Hey, that's a good idea! I mean, uh, yes. That was it. We were being considerate and not at all incredibly nosy. Eeeeeyup."

"Do you even _try_ to lie?"

"Oh trust me, princess, when I lie, you'll know about it."

Weiss facepalmed again.

"That doesn't...why would it…gah!"

"And that was how Weiss went into the infirmary with a leg injury and came out with a brain injury." Blake commented dryly, "Speaking of, shouldn't Doctor Lavender be here with you?"

"She was called up to Ozpin's office for some reason." Weiss explained, "It sounded important, but I don't know what it was for otherwise."

"Hm...it just seems a little irresponsible to leave the two of you alone here."

"Alone, is it?"

Blake nearly jumped out of her skin as Ozpin silently stepped through the remains of the doorway, taking a casual sip of his coffee cup all the while.

"If having three young ladies propped up against the door counts as leaving someone alone these days, perhaps I should update my dictionary."

"Wait, you sent us to Weiss to keep her company?" Yang asked, raising an eyebrow, "You know we would've done that anyway, right?"

"When it concerns a matter of such magnitude, I'd rather not take any chances." Ozpin answered nonchalantly, "In any case, I _also_ asked you to deliver a message, did I not? Or did you forget about that in all your eavesdropping, hm?"

"No, Professor, we remembered about the message!" Ruby piped up.

"So she already knows that Jaune's weapon has been captured by the Red Hunters, does she?"

The room fell silent.

"No, Professor." Weiss answered finally, "No I did not."

"Ah." Ozpin said, taking another sip of his coffee, "Not the best of news, I take it?"

"That would be one way to put it." Weiss replied icily.

"Then perhaps you'll find its partner piece a little more uplifting. Are you aware that Ater Mors is in Beacon's possession at present? That's the demonic soul-eating sword that no one's ever broken into, for reference.

Siiip.

"We broke into it."

Ozpin pointed an index finger towards Bianca.

"And with a little help from the young lady over there, we can break Mister Arc _out_ of it."

"...just like that?" Weiss asked.

Ozpin turned to face Bianca, giving her a meaningful look.

Bianca sighed.

"If only it were that simple…"

* * *

><p><strong>Surprisingly, this actually clocked in as the second longest chapter, right below Cave Story. True fax.<strong>

**In any case, welcome to the eleventh chapter of None Of Your Business! Slowly but surely, we're crawling towards a finale, and I'm thinking the fic'll probably be finished in around...three, four chapters? In that way, it'll end up being a little longer than In A Grimm Manor, but I suppose that's to be expected, to an extent.**

**ANYWAY. If you liked the story, please favourite, follow and leave a review! I can't tell you how much I appreciate hearing reader's thoughts, so if you're hesitating about putting something, please don't! I don't bite, I promise!**

**'Till next time, folks!**


	12. Dive To The Heart

Disclaimer: RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth and Monty Oum, not me. This is merely a fanwork meant for entertainment purposes only. Cover image courtesy of Jan Chrt (jeni-cek on deviantART). All rights reserved.

* * *

><p>Weiss glanced between Ozpin and Bianca, noticing the latter's increasingly distressed manner.<p>

"Professor, what exactly are you asking Bianca to do?" Weiss asked, a note of concern in her voice, "From the sounds of things, you aren't really giving us the whole story."

"It is...no more dangerous than a standard hunter mission." Ozpin answered evasively.

"Maybe I haven't been around for a few decades, but I still don't think 'imprisonment of the soul' is generally considered one of a hunter's work hazards." Bianca snarked back.

"Looks like _someone_ didn't read the terms and conditions…"

"Does _anyone_ read those?" Ruby cut in.

"Only when things go wrong." Ozpin replied dryly.

"The point is, I am not going anywhere _near _that sword, much less _in_ it." Bianca declared, "I mean, Jaune's a nice enough guy, I suppose, but you're essentially asking me to wander into a zombie-infested graveyard to dig up a corpse, with a high possibility that I not only don't _find_ the corpse, but also that I _become_ one. Nuh-uh, not in a million years!"

"Is there not some other way of doing this, Professor?" Weiss asked desperately.

"None that aren't purely theoretical, no. It's possible that retrieving Mister Arc's original sword might allow him to regain consciousness, but that would be a temporary solution at best, assuming it even works."

Weiss frowned, deep in thought.

"What if...what if someone else went into the sword?"

Ozpin raised an eyebrow.

"Last I checked, we only had one wandering soul around here, unless you happen to have another long-lost family member stashed in your equipment."

"No, but...what if Bianca and I swapped places? She inhabits my body, I siphon into the sword and then you perform whatever it was you were going to do to get Bianca inside Ater Mors."

"Weiss, you can't!" Ruby protested.

"And why not? It's not like I'm going to be much use until my legs heal anyway, and since it's at least partially my fault that Jaune is stuck inside that accursed sword, it should be up to me to get him out of there."

"But...what if you don't come back?"

Yang took Ruby's hand in her own, sending her an encouraging smile.

"Starting to doubt your teammates, eh, Rubes? That's not very leader-ish!"

"She's right, Ruby." Blake commented, "Besides, you should know how stubborn Weiss is by now; when her mind's set on something, there's no stopping her."

"Sounds like a certain black-haired beauty I know." Yang teased.

"I'm only stubborn about the important things."

"And the poptart incident?"

Blake paused.

"...no comment."

"Aha, gotcha! Yang one, Blake zero! First to score, as usual."

"Ahem."

The four girls swivelled to face an Ozpin putting on a fairly poor totally-not-amused face.

"Perhaps it would be an idea to get on with the task at hand, hm? Assuming, that is, that Miss Schnee is certain in her decision."

"I am." Weiss confirmed.

"And Bianca?"

Bianca shrugged.

"If Weiss wants to risk herself for noodle boy over here, I've got no problem giving her a hand."

"In that case…Doctor Lavender!"

The sound of someone sprinting echoed through the hallway outside as Lavender proceeded to zoom straight past the room. Ozpin kept his expression neutral, calmly finishing the last of his drink, all while Lavender muttered a string of curses, gradually decreasing in volume as she got closer to the shattered doorway…until she actually reached it, that is.

"Dust of the ancients, my doorway's turned into a door-_away_! Yo, if any of you could tell me who…no, wait, I've got it."

Lavender currently had her hands full with what looked to be some kind of wire-covered steel crown, but even so, she kept her eyes moving in the meantime, finally coming to rest on Yang's totally-not-conspicuous form.

"Xiao-Long!"

"Heya Doc! Long time no see!"

"Yeaah, not gonna lie, kinda grateful for that. Seems like every time you come in here you've broken something – or some_one_."

"Ehehe…it keeps you occupied, at least?"

Rolling her eyes, Lavender made her way over to Weiss, delicately placing the unusual crown atop her head with the same kind of care a true coronation might bring.

"I assume this has something to do with entering the sword?" Weiss asked, finding the device to be distinctly uncomfortable to wear.

"Mmmyeah, you could say that. Best way to describe it would be a weird key-hot chocolate combo, but I don't know if that makes any sense now that I've said it."

"It unlocks things and keeps you happy?" Ruby suggested.

"Right on, Rose! It'll also act as an anchor point so you have something to get you out of there when you're ready, though the way I see it that's just using the key in the other direction."

"So I just go in, find Jaune, and then come out again?" Weiss asked dubiously, "What if I can't find him?"

"Well, ever since Arc-man got himself into this mess, I've been doing a bit of reading into mindscapes, i.e. the thingy you'll be in when you enter the sword. The way I figure it, Jaune should be easy to spot since he'll be the freshest soul in there, kinda like spotting a regular strawberry amongst a load of rotten ones. Once you have him, just head to the exit and you're golden!"

"Sounds easy enough." Weiss commented.

"That's the spirit! I mean, that's also the spirit of anyone who thought marching through a bog would be a nice shortcut, but hey, that's not the point. Just try and have fun, mmkay?"

Weiss glanced over to Bianca, but the latter merely shrugged.

_It'll be rough, but you should pull through. All you need to do now is locate the sword and focus on it. That crown should do the rest._

_And what about you?_

_I'll be taking care of your body. You know, feed it, water it twice a day, that kind of thing._

_Hilarious._

_But seriously, I'll be here if you need me. Just say the word, and I'll help you get out of there, Jaune or no Jaune._

Weiss took a deep breath. Ruby squeezed her hand tightly.

"You can do it, Weiss. I believe in you!"

Slowly, she began reaching out with her mind, soon finding not only the now familiar point of Bianca, but another, darker entity. It seemed to be held a few rooms away, perhaps even a floor up, but with the crown, the sword's malevolent energy made itself known no matter the distance. Slowly, Weiss found that her vision was blurring, but just before she 'blacked out', she thought she spied Pyrrha at the edge of her vision, shouting…something.

Was it important? Possibly, possibly not. Not that it mattered anymore. Now? Now it was time to stare into the abyss.

Weiss could only pray that the abyss wouldn't stare right back.

* * *

><p>A thick purple mist hung in the air as Weiss entered the mindscape, weaving between towering purple crystals that seem to vibrate in a regular, cardiac rhythm. The ground was a lifeless dark mud, the sort that one might find in a forest gripped by winter, with only miniature versions of the crystalline towers breaking the rolling blackness. As Weiss examined further, she realised that she was currently standing on a slope, and while one end simply lead towards an impassable-looking crystal, the other way lead to what she could only assume was her destination.<p>

While it was difficult to know for sure from such a distance, the building seemed to be some kind of reversed pyramid, jutting up from an impossibly thin point and reaching a flat, smooth top, joined to the remaining mindscape by dilapidated rope bridges that seemed ready to snap apart at any moment. The pyramid itself, however, was in tip-top condition, its spotless white bricks creating an uneasy contrast between its malignant purple surroundings.

"Hm…it _could_ be a trap." Weiss mused, "A kind of siren call to attract the occupants away from the real deal. Still, even if that's true, that doesn't mean Jaune didn't go there. What to do…?"

Weiss patted herself down, trying to discern what she'd brought with her into the dreamscape. Oddly enough, she found that the pale blue hospital gown she'd been wearing previously had morphed into a pure white mini dress she had worn to a picnic once, complete with a floppy straw hat that only just fit over her newly-acquired metal crown. Meanwhile, the form of Zinnia that had become such a staple of her current outings had been replaced by Myrtenaster's reassuring length, though for whatever reason, the dust canisters were only half-full at most.

"Time enough to contemplate the 'why' later." Weiss decided, "If this place really is as soul-crushing as it looks, it's imperative that I get to Jaune as soon as possible."

With that in mind, Weiss soon set off towards the nearest rope bridge, looking this way and that as she did so in case some horrible creature decided to launch an attack. Yet, even as she willed herself to remain vigilant, she couldn't help but notice that, aside from the crystal's beating, the area was an awful, deathly quiet. Not even her footsteps seemed to make any noise, the expected crunch of shoes on dirt simply evaporating into the mindscape's poisonous atmosphere. She could only hope that her body didn't follow suit.

"Jaune?! Are you up there?!"

Still silence. Gingerly, Weiss began inching her foot onto the rotted wood of the bridge, wrinkling her nose as a putrid stench began assaulting her senses. Nevertheless, as she continued to put more weight onto the rickety structure, she discovered that it was actually completely static, the ropes remaining stationary no matter how much she tried to pull on them.

"At least it's stable." Weiss muttered, finally putting both feet onto the bridge, "Nonsensical in every way, shape and form, perhaps, but certainly stable. Let's see..."

Drawing Myrtenaster, Weiss finally continued her trek across the bridge, keeping alert in case the mindscape realised what manner of impossibility it had constructed. Nevertheless, the bridge held completely still throughout, and after a minute or so, Weiss had managed to reach the top of the pyramid, stepping warily onto it and examining her new environment.

"Dust preserve me…"

Thick, rusted iron chains kept a haggard-looking Jaune rooted to the centre of the pyramid, his lack of shirt allowing Weiss to very clearly see that there was a hole going straight through his chest, though the cleanliness of the wound reminded her more of a paper cut-out than actual missing flesh. His bottom half, meanwhile, seemed to be dotted with the same crystals Weiss had seen rising from the mindscape's lower levels and, while it was happening incredibly slowly, she could swear that they were beginning to grow.

"Jaune?"

Jaune's eyes stared lifelessly into the distance, but as Weiss raised her voice, he began to whimper.

"No…no more…" he croaked, his voice thick with pain, "You already…have enough…please…"

"Jaune, snap out of it!"

"Can't…look at the ghosts. Makes the crystals…even worse."

Weiss glanced around once again, but from what she could tell, there was nought but her and Jaune on the pyramid top.

"What ghosts?"

"Just…leave me!" Jaune wheezed, "I'm already suffering…enough…"

SLAP.

"Ow!" Jaune yelped, his eyes suddenly coming into focus, "That was…sharp. I didn't think the crystals _did_ sharp pain."

"That's probably because it was a slap!" Weiss piped up, oddly happy that the action had produced a sound.

"But that's not…Weiss? Is it really you?"

For a moment, Jaune seemed hopeful, but his heart soon sank.

"Wait, that means you're trapped in here, too. That's not good at all!"

"Do you really think I'd come in here without a way to escape?" Weiss asked, tapping her floppy hat, "If we can get you off of this platform and down to where I came in, we'll be able to leave this place forever."

"I can think of at least two problems with that idea." Jaune commented dryly, rattling his chains pathetically.

Weiss gave them a quick look over, frowning as she realised there was no place for a key of any kind around the wrist bindings.

"Have you worn these since you arrived?"

"I don't think so. I started out in the dark bit away from this place, and I thought the pyramid might make a safe haven from all the nasty stuff down there. As soon as I came into the centre, though, these damned chains tied around my wrists and, well…I've been a little too busy being haunted to find a way out."

Weiss ran an eye down Myrtenaster's length, frowning.

"This could be difficult. Ideally I'd need some kind of slashing weapon to break through those things, but Myrtenaster can only impale."

"I wish Crocea Mors was here…" Jaune whined wistfully.

"Mm, if only it wasn't…missing…"

Weiss glanced back to Myrtenaster, remembering that she had most definitely left it up in her Beacon dorm room.

"I wonder…?"

While her memory was far from perfect, Weiss nevertheless managed to cobble together the vague image of Crocea Mors in her head, adding more and more details until it almost looked like the real thing.

"Whoa, what the-" Jaune began.

POP.

"-hell?"

Now, instead of Myrtenaster, Weiss found that she was holding what certainly _looked_ like Crocea Mors in her hand, though she found that the sword weighed far less than its non-imaginary counterpart. Still, with a few surgical cuts, she soon discovered that it had just the same sharpness as the original and, in a matter of seconds, Jaune was free from his chains.

"How did you do that?" Jaune asked in awe, "It just sort of..."

"Came out of thin air?" Weiss finished, "It certainly seemed that way, didn't it?"

"There's more to it, then."

"In a sense. I theorised that, since my clothes and weapon weren't anywhere near my original body, my mind must have created them itself. The next step was, naturally, to test if I could do the same on purpose."

"Right..." Jaune murmured, "Well, however you did it, I'm glad we have Crocea. If I have that, I can…uh…"

Struggle though he might, Jaune rather quickly discovered that, while he was no longer bound to the pyramid by chains, his legs were not obeying in the slightest. In fact, as he continued to weakly order them into action, the embedded crystals started flaring up, sending him tumbling to the ground in agony.

"I…I can't move on my own." Jaune wheezed, his voice wavering heavily, "You'll have to go on without me."

Wordlessly, Weiss discarded Crocea Mors and, after a little trouble figuring out where to grip him, picked Jaune straight up and onto her shoulder, prompting him to make a rather surprised yelp.

"…have you been working out?" Jaune joked weakly.

"I _worked out_ that weight doesn't function how it does in reality, so yes, you could say that."

"Heh, alright then. Just try not to move too fast, okay? Seems like it makes the pain from these crystals even worse."

"I'll try and take it slow."

Despite a few pained protests, the pair were soon back on the same bridge Weiss had taken to get up to the pyramid, though she soon noticed that the purple mist from before was starting to gather in a rather worrying, tornado-like fashion.

"Do you see that?" Jaune murmured.

"The mist?"

"Yeah. Any idea what it's doing?"

"Trying to stop us from leaving, perhaps." Weiss suggested, readjusting her grip on Jaune, "Just hang on tight. This could get pretty uncomfortable."

As it turned out, the insistent tugging that ramped up every second was a little more than just 'uncomfortable', and Weiss was forced to keep a stern grip on the side of the rope bridge to prevent herself being pulled off. However, just as she felt herself being lifted up into the air, the sensation suddenly stopped, dropping her back to the ground like an anchor into the sea. Glancing around her at the gold hexagonal shield, Weiss quickly figured out why.

"Keep…going!" Jaune called out, his brow furrowed in concentration, "I don't know how much longer…I can last!"

Nodding, Weiss stepped up her pace, breaking out into a half-run while still having time to avoid the occasional holes that cropped up in the bridge. Eventually, the pair made it down to the ground below, and while the landing area was now in sight, the mist tornado was beginning to move.

"Jaune-"

"Keep…going!"

Even as the shield surrounding her began to flicker in places, Weiss kept up her furious pace, darting this way and that as crystals began launching out of the ground, perhaps hoping to impale her and, as they proceeded to miss, were soon sucked into the tornado, adding an additional, sharper motivation not to be pulled in. Finally, as the ground around her began to struggle under the tornado's pull, Weiss came to a stop, recognising that this was the precise spot she had first arrived at. Now all she had to do was…

…what, exactly?

"Hurry!" Jaune exclaimed, the lower half of his body becoming more and more crystalline by the second, "This won't…hold forever!"

Moving Jaune to the ground, Weiss threw off her hat, reaching to the unpleasant wire crown and screaming in her mind with as much power as she could muster.

_Bianca, get us out of here! Now!_

No response.

_Bianca?! Where are you?!_

_..._

_BIANCA!_

Jaune screamed in pain as the crystals infected his lower torso, but even then, his arm remained outstretched, keeping up the fading shield as the tornado crept closer and closer. Weiss tried to focus her mind, tried to pull something from nothing that could save them, but it was no use; the top of the pyramid had been a paragon of tranquillity next to this chaos. All she could do was draw Jaune closer, watching as the shield around them tightened to accommodate the new shape and, despite the dying hope, continued trying to contact Bianca.

_Please, Bianca! We don't have much time left!_

The earth itself was torn asunder as the tornado reached the shield. By now, Jaune was up to his neck in crystal, and as he turned to face Weiss, his eyes were filled with fear.

"This…this is the end, isn't it?"

The sound of grinding metal pierced the air as the tornado pressed against the shield with all its might.

"I'd just like to say…thank you. For everything."

"What-"

In the blink of an eye, Weiss found that the shield had contracted around her, and only her…leaving Jaune outside.

"Jaune, no!"

Weiss pounded the shield with her fist, kicked it, tried to use her semblance…but in the end, all she could do was watch as the rest of the crystal crawled up Jaune's face, leaving it frozen in an eternal guilty smile.

* * *

><p>It had all been his fault, in the end. He <em>knew<em> the sword was evil, he _knew_ something bad would happen if he wielded it, but through the same foolish bravado that had prompted so many other mistakes, he had done it anyway. He couldn't undo the past, that much was clear…but in the end, he found that he could at least save another's future.

_I'll be rooting for you, Weiss. Don't give up._

However, as the last of the crystal covered Jaune's broken form, he found that he could still see…something. Beyond his translucent prison, hidden within the tornado's swirling death…a light amongst the darkness.

"Once, in a manor deep underground, you told me that it was my time to die. Now, it seems _I_ have to tell _you_ that it is your time to live."

Bianca clicked her fingers.

"Don't screw it up."

* * *

><p>The smell of ash assaulted Jaune's senses and, at the same time, something large, warm and incredibly heavy was pressing down on him. Coughing as he tried to repel whatever he was breathing in, he opened his eyes, finding that he was currently buried under what was likely a fairly substantial portion of rock and, with his arms and legs trapped in several crevices, it didn't seem like he was getting out anytime soon.<p>

Suddenly, however, a penetrating metallic sound began echoing through the stone and, little by little, Jaune found that the weight pressing against him began to lift. As the pressure continued to relieve, a persistent muffled voice made its way through to him, though the words were unfortunately too quiet to understand.

Finally, after at least a few minutes of digging, a piercing light made its way to Jaune's face as the covering rock was tossed aside. Temporarily blinded, he was forced to use his ears to discern what was happening.

"It's…Jaune! Jaune's here!" Pyrrha's voice exclaimed excitedly, quickening her digging pace. However, with the majority of the rock now put aside, Jaune found that his previous attempts to escape now found more purchase and, with a heave, he managed to pull himself from the rubble and out into…into…

"Whoa, steady!" Pyrrha called out, just managing to catch him before he hit the ground, "You shouldn't try to stand up so suddenly. You could be hurt!"

Jaune glanced around, his spirit sinking lower and lower as he realised where he was.

"Is this…the infirmary?"

"It _was_." Pyrrha half-confirmed, grimacing, "But, well, while you were asleep…"

Pyrrha placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"Beacon's gone, Jaune."

* * *

><p><strong>I never knew you personally, but without your show, I would have never started writing fanfiction in the first place, and for that, I am grateful. <strong>**May your legacy continue to live on beyond your mortal form, for when such a thing comes to pass, one may attain true immortality.  
><strong>

**Rest in peace, Monty Oum. **


	13. Time Crisis

Disclaimer: RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth and Monty Oum, not me. This is merely a fanwork meant for entertainment purposes only. Cover image courtesy of Jan Chrt (jeni-cek on deviantART). All rights reserved.

* * *

><p>It was quite a sobering experience, really. Beacon Academy, this mighty school, this proof to the world of the hunters' strength…destroyed in an instant. All that remained was rock, ash and, as Jaune was lead through Beacon's corpse, the people, now residing in thick, green tents that seemed almost miserable in their number.<p>

"Did…did they all make it out?" Jaune asked, all too fearful for the reply.

"It's not as bad as it looks, thankfully." Pyrrha replied, brushing a particularly sharp bit of debris from the path, "Most of the students were on holiday at the time, so there was only a handful of people to evacuate when I came to warn about the bomb."

"Bomb? That'd explain the mess. Was anywhere else hit?"

"We haven't heard any more blasts, but it's difficult to tell outside of that. Ever since Beacon was destroyed, someone's been jamming our communications."

"Do you think it could be the White Fang?"

"Could be…" Pyrrha said dubiously, "I have my doubts, though. After all, if the White Fang had a bomb capable of levelling an entire academy in moments, why use it on Beacon? Why not some kind of Schnee Corp or police building? It just doesn't add up."

"Sounds like you've thought about it a lot."

Pyrrha smiled sadly.

"When you're alone and combing through the wreckage of your school, it can be a little hard to _stop_ thinking."

Finally, after somehow managing to dodge the debris and keep his bare feet intact, Jaune made it to what was likely some kind of hub tent, judging by the larger size and general murmur of discussion echoing from within. With Pyrrha giving him the signal to 'stop', Jaune obediently stayed put as she walked casually up to the tent flap, tugging it in a rhythm that was likely some kind of call back to secret knocks. It wasn't long afterwards that something heavy and metallic was pushed to one side and, with a small squeak of surprise, Ruby Rose peaked her head out into the open air.

"Wow Pyrrha, you're back already? You work fast! Did you have any luck with-"

"Negative, I'm afraid." Pyrrha cut in, "But I _did_ find something else…or _someone_, actually. Jaune, if you would…?"

Ruby gasped audibly as Jaune made his way to Pyrrha's side, jumping all the way out of the tent flap and rather feverishly looking him up and down.

"Holy nuggets, you're alive!" Ruby announced finally, "We thought you'd, uh…you know…"

"You can thank Pyrrha for that. If it weren't for her, I think I'd have been stuck under that rubble for ages."

"In that case, thanks Pyrrha! Maybe now Weiss'll stop being all grumpy-grump and 'oh it's all my fault' and stuff."

"I certainly hope so, Ruby. Now, perhaps we should make our way in? I have a feeling everyone will be eager to hear the news."

"Mmhm! Oh, I'll just pop in real quick and let them know you're coming, okay? Otherwise there might be too much 'Oh it's Jaune' and not enough 'Okay so let's actually decide on something for once', you know?"

As Ruby slipped back in to the tent, Pyrrha gave Jaune a wan smile.

"I just wanted to say…"

"Hm?"

"It's good to have you back, Jaune. JNPR just hasn't been the same without you."

"I'm just glad it was me and not someone more important who went missing. I mean, what would you guys do if it was Ozpin under that rubble? There'd be no one around to drink all of the coffee!"

Pyrrha giggled softly and, without warning, gave him a quick kiss on the cheek.

"But if I'd never found you, I'd have no one to do that to, hm?" Pyrrha said cheekily, grabbing Jaune's hand and pulling him into the tent.

* * *

><p>"-and I'm telling <em>you<em> that rock most definitely beats scissors!" Glynda exclaimed in annoyance.

"But what if they were dust scissors? Those would cut through rock with ease! And besides, how on Remnant does a mere sheet of paper beat rock?" Port asked.

"Maybe it was _dust_ paper." she retorted.

"I can't help but feel like that comment was sarcastic in some way."

"And _I_ can't help but feel like you're a moron, but I suppose we all have to cut our losses at some point."

"Well there's no need to be like- ah, here they are. Ho there, Miss Nikos! I hear you've brought back a fine trophy from your hunt. Did you slap him around a bit, or has he gone cherry red for a different reason?"

"Just ignore him." Glynda recommended wearily, "He's been absolutely insufferable ever since he realised his silly Grimm teddy bear likely went down with the school."

"It was a taxonomic masterwork, not a teddy bear!"

"Whatever makes you feel better, Port." Glynda snarked, taking a deep swig from what looked to be something alcoholic, "The others are just a bit further ahead, by the way. Look for the one foot tall debris table. You can't miss it."

Like many of the rooms at Beacon, the tent seemed to be a lot bigger on the inside than it had any right to be, with a cornucopia of teams seated at their own separate tables, all deep in discussion. However, as Pyrrha made her way through the 'hallway' cut between the tables, quite a few of them turned their attention to the new arrivals, with many reacting with great surprise that she had brought not an item, but a _person_ back.

Meanwhile, at the end of the hall, team RWBY and Professor Ozpin were currently occupying the particularly low table Glynda had described, the latter looking rather morosely into an empty mug. The others Jaune would likely to describe as 'bored', with the possible exception of Weiss, who was wearing a beautiful smile, and Ruby, who simply looked hungry. Nevertheless, as Pyrrha and Jaune made their approach, everyone seemed to perk up slightly.

"Heyyy, there he is!" Yang called out, "What's up, Ladykiller? Last I heard you were six feet under, but I guess you must have turned your wily charms to Death herself, eh?"

"Don't mind her." Blake chipped in, "She's been like this ever since Professor Port's stuffed Grimm went down with the school."

"But it was so awesome! Right, Rubes?"

Ruby nodded, her mouth currently full of strawberries.

"See? _You're_ in the minority here, not me! Yang 2, Blake 0."

"Ahem." Weiss cut in, putting out a beckoning hand, "Jaune, could you come over here for a moment, please?"

Still in his hospital pyjamas, Jaune made his way to Weiss at the centre of the table.

"And could you bend down a little?"

Again, Jaune did as he was told.

SLAP.

"Ow! What-"

"If you even _think _about pulling that self-sacrificing idiocy again, believe me, there will be _a lot_ more than a simple slap waiting for you. It's not smart, it's not heroic, and worst of all, it's not considerate! Do I make myself clear?"

"Um, is this really-"

"Stay out of this, Pyrrha! He knows what he did, and he's getting off _lightly_ with a slap and a stern talking-to."

Jaune sighed.

"I'm sorry, Weiss. Guess I didn't really think it through."

"You most certainly did _not_, but that's a discussion for another time."

Then, with a flip of an invisible switch, Weiss' scowl returned to the lovely smile she had worn earlier.

"In any case, I'm glad you're in one piece, Jaune, as much as it might not sound like it right now. For a while, it seemed as if you were one of our only casualties, a most unfortunate fact considering our recent retrieval of Crocea Mors."

"It was lost?"

"Ever since the explosion at the Red Hunters' Guild, yes. As it turned out, Pyrrha managed to find it while combing through the Beacon ruins for…well. Not that, certainly."

"It sounds like I've been out a while."

"Not all _that_ long, actually, but events have certainly moved quickly."

"Like the event that I apparently died in?"

Weiss and Pyrrha shared a look.

"You don't know what happened, do you?" Weiss asked.

"I know there was a bomb, but not much more than that, no."

"You're missing out on a lot, then. Pyrrha, if you would?"

Pyrrha cleared her throat.

"Well…while everyone else was trying to get you out of that sword, I was investigating the whereabouts of Crocea Mors. I thought I'd hit a bit of a dead end when the Red Hunters building turned up nothing, but just as I was about to give up and head back, I was sent this strange message on my scroll."

"Who was it from?"

"It didn't say, but I don't think it was anyone from Beacon. The message basically warned that a bomb was set to detonate under Beacon within the hour, and if I didn't get back and evacuate the building, a lot of innocent people would die. I would have tried contacting someone back at Beacon beforehand, but that was around the time the scrolls started going haywire, so all I could really do was catch a lift with a passing fan and run back to warn everyone."

"You must have made it back in time, then."

"Thankfully, yes. Within a few minutes, we'd managed to get most of the building evacuated, but you…you were projecting your shield, even in unconsciousness. I would've tried to move you some other way, but…well, someone pulled me away as the countdown got close."

"Then the bomb went off?"

"Then the bomb went off." Pyrrha confirmed, "And after seeing what it had done to Beacon, it seemed a little foolish to hope you'd survived. I've never been happier to be wrong."

BEEP BOOP BEEP. In perfect unison, everyone in the tent went to check their scrolls, each with a very confused expression. Weren't they supposed to be broken?

However, leaning over to peek at Weiss', Jaune found that the video function was certainly working, at least, as now Igneus Stormcrow, leader of the Red Hunters, was peering out at him, a horrible burn coursing down his face.

"Why hello there, people of Beacon! How has your remodelling been going? I hear you've run into quite the _explosive_ snag with it, isn't that right? Muhahahaha!"

"Why that little-" Weiss began, cutting herself off.

"In any case, I'm sure you're wondering why I'm calling you all, so let me tell you a little secret; the bomb I put under Beacon was only the _first_ surprise! In exactly one hour from this message's broadcast, the entire city will be engulfed in flame as the police station, the docks, the guilds and the arena crumble under my might!"

He smiled smugly.

"That is, unless you were planning to do something about it…no, no, that would be a death sentence. Only bold, heroic individuals would even dare attempt it…but where on Remnant would you find people like that in this day and age?"

With that, the broadcast went dead, and the tent was thrown into chaos.

* * *

><p><strong>Heya all! After a few mini-hiatuses, None Of Your Business is back on the track to completion! Now coming out every Tuesday, you can likely expect the story to be completed in three or four chapters, I reckon. It's been a bumpier road than In A Grimm Manor's, I must admit, but that doesn't mean I'm giving up. For myself, for Monty, and most of all, for you, the readers, I will push this work to its end.<strong>

**See you next week, folks! Soul out!**


	14. Set Up Us The Bomb

Disclaimer: RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth and Monty Oum, not me. This is merely a fanwork meant for entertainment purposes only. Cover image courtesy of Jan Chrt (jeni-cek on deviantART). All rights reserved.

* * *

><p>Vrrrrrrrrrrrm, vrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrm, vrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrm…<p>

SCREEEEECH.

"First stop, Aurora headquarters! Please mind the gap and remember to use Yang's Taxi service again!"

Jaune groaned as he flopped off of the motorbike, just barely managing to keep his stomach stable while doing so. From the looks of it, the Aurora building seemed to be in fairly good shape, and with Vale's lazy afternoon sky, you could just about see a few lights on through some of the windows.

"…uh, could you maybe go a bit slower next time…? I don't think I was really made for this kind of stuff…"

Yang revved her bike, winking slyly.

"What was that, Ladykiller? I can't hear you over how awesome my bike is!"

"Eurgh…Pyrrha, are you alright?"

Pyrrha, of course, stepped off of the contraption with only a little windswept hair and, after a little rearrangement, she returned to looking like a goddess.

"Ah, how refreshing! Thank you for the lift, Yang. Perhaps we'll find opportunity to do it again sometime…but first…"

Firmly, but not unkindly, Pyrrha forced Jaune back to his feet and, after giving Yang a wave farewell, directed him towards Aurora's looming doorway.

"Come on, Jaune, we need to focus! There's no telling when that next bomb will go off, and we need to make sure everyone inside is properly evacuated before we can rest easy."

"Yeah, you're right…sorry." Jaune apologised, pulling himself together, "Let's get to it."

With only a slight creak from the hinges, Aurora's wooden doorways swung open, revealing the mess hall to be…completely empty. The tables were covered in plates and glasses, most still holding food and drink in various states of consumption, but the people that had made them were nowhere to be found.

"Seems like the place was evacuated already." Jaune observed, knocking softly on the nearest table, "But why?"

"Perhaps someone discovered the bomb before we got here?" Pyrrha suggested.

"Yeah, I guess that could've- wait. Do you hear that?"

It was incredibly faint, like it was some kind of recording set to the lowest volume but, below the floor, Jaune thought he heard a pained coughing sound.

"Yes…it sounds like a man, I think." Pyrrha said, "Was he the one who put out the evacuation order?"

"Or it could just be some drunk who got lost down here in the chaos. Either way, we should head down and check ASAP."

The basement's somewhat inconspicuous trapdoor was just to the left of the main entrance and, after an impressive display of strength from Pyrrha, the door was lifted up, and a cold metal ladder descended to the dreary stone floor below.

"Oh, look, Jaune; a chance to practice your landing strategy!"

"I thought my strategy was 'get pinned to a tree by a rocket spear'." Jaune retorted dryly.

"Not with all the progress you've made recently. Go on, just jump; your aura should cushion the fall fairly well."

Knowing that time was of the essence, Jaune decided not to argue the point further and, with a little hop, followed by a heavy, echoing thud, he was soon standing right in the middle of Aurora's basement. While the room was barely illuminated by its semi-functional dust light, there wasn't really a lot _to_ illuminate, so the setup got by. One end of the room was occupied by a few supply crates, mostly consisting of bought-in food for the mess hall, and the other end…

The other end was occupied by the limp body of Asbeth, his torso suffering from a slick, surgical hole that was ever so slowly bleeding out. Nevertheless, once he realised there was someone with him, Asbeth's vacant green eyes swivelled around towards Jaune, his expression filled with pain.

"You…you shouldn't have come here, boy."

"Asbeth? What happened to you?" Jaune asked, rushing over to the broken man's side. Pyrrha was soon to follow.

"I…bit off a bit more than I could chew, that's all. Got involved with-"

Asbeth broke into a violent coughing fit, and Jaune couldn't help but cringe as flecks of blood were hurled towards the wall.

"…with the wrong sort of people." Asbeth finished weakly.

"Jaune, we need to get him out of here, now!" Pyrrha urged, "If the bomb doesn't kill him, that wound definitely will!"

"Don't…don't bother with me…only reason I'm still hanging on is by force of will. Moving me'll just lead to a quicker death…and that ain't what I deserve right now."

Jaune and Pyrrha shared a look.

"Asbeth, do you know anything about the bomb that was planted here?"

"'Course I do…I was the one who did it. Got all the kids out, too, but that don't make it much better."

"But…why?"

"The guy…he was offering a lot of money for little bits of info on the guild. What sort of stuff we bought, what the building was made of…all sorts of random bullshit. Figured it was easy money, but it wasn't long before I was in over my head. Death threats, bigger paychecks…the works. One way or another, I got to installing that thrice-damned bomb in the basement…but, in the end, I was too chickenshit to just let it go off."

Another coughing fit.

"Got all the kids out, tried to warn Weiss about the other bombs, couldn't…scroll was jammed. Knew then that it was too late for me. Came back down here and tried to shut the bomb off, but seems like they knew me better than I did…left a gun to stop me in my tracks…"

Asbeth shook his head, his eyes filled with sadness.

"And…and you know what the worst part of it was? After all that, betraying Weiss, evacuating this place, taking a shot to the chest…"

He gritted his teeth.

"…the damned bomb couldn't even arm in the first place. It was a dud."

"What?! But then, the other bombs-"

"Aye…probably won't go off either. So, I guess the question is…why would he want the rest of Beacon's hunters out of the ruins at the same time?"

Slowly, the pieces in Jaune's head began to come together. An assassination, an attempt to instigate a guild war, a bomb for both the Red Hunter's building _and_ Beacon…

It was all for Weiss.

And now he had her in an unfortified tent, practically unguarded.

"…you get it, don't you?"

"But why? Why would Igneus go through all of this just for her?"

"Igneus?"

Asbeth chuckled weakly.

"You really think that guy you saw…was Igneus? No…Ig was a vain man, and nothing mattered to him more than his earrings. No way in hell he'd get on a broadcast without looking like he wanted, even if it got in the way of his plan…so riddle me this, boy…"

"…why wasn't he wearing any?"

It had seemed like such a small, innocuous detail, so small that Jaune hadn't even registered it at the time…but now, looking back, he realised that Asbeth was telling the truth. Then, that must mean…

"He's an imposter."

"The best of the best…called himself Beaufort. Wish I could tell you more, but…I was just some lackey….guess I still am, in the end. Keeping you here when you could be getting back to Weiss…maybe even saving her."

With his last ounce of strength, Asbeth grasped Jaune's hand and, for the first time since they had met those days ago, he seemed focused. Finally, he spoke, in a voice wavering with emotion.

"Tell your dad…he was a good man…and tell Weiss…tell…Weiss…"

Asbeth coughed one last time.

"…sorry about the mess…"

…

…

…

_HERE LIES CINEREOUS ASBETH_

_SON OF GLORIA AND NICHOLAS ASBETH_

_LOYAL TO HIS FRIENDS UNTIL THE VERY END_

_MAY HE FIND PEACE IN DEATH WHERE HE DID NOT IN LIFE_

_SO LET IT BE_

* * *

><p>The tent was destroyed. Battered, unconscious bodies of Beacon staff were strewn haphazardly around the ruins, likely saved only be their aura. The only clues to the perpetrator were certain shards of debris that had remained behind, all pulsing with a familiar, dark energy...<p>

…and, along with that, a tall, earthen sign, carved with thick, block capitals.

**GOD RESTS IN THE TUNNELS**


	15. Not So Elder Scroll

Disclaimer: RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth and Monty Oum, not me. This is merely a fanwork meant for entertainment purposes only. Cover image courtesy of Jan Chrt (jeni-cek on deviantART). All rights reserved.

* * *

><p>It was a sombre gathering. Using her remaining aura reserves, Glynda had just about restored the tent, and with Lavender there to tend to the wounds, everyone was looking in much better shape. Of course, that didn't change the fact that Weiss was gone, and apart from the sign that could very well be a trap, they had few leads to go on.<p>

For the moment, only RBY and JNPR had made it back from the bombs, with the rest of the teams presumably otherwise occupied. Still, not ones to rest on their laurels, the two teams had begun gathering information on the recent travesty from the staff, and while JNPR were still out and about, RBY had gathered around a reconstructed table to share their information.

"I just…eurgh!" Yang cried in frustration, slamming her fist down on the table, "How'd that gal just wipe the floor with everyone and take off with Weiss?!"

"It seems like it was the surprise of it, mostly." Blake answered, "With all the attention on the bombs, no one really expected an attack on Beacon, _especially _since they'd already succeeded in blowing it up. That, and given that no one actually died, the attacker was likely focused on subduing everyone rather than killing them."

"Bastards…Ruby, did you get anything more on who it was?"

"They were wielding that dark sword from before." Ruby replied, her eyes filled with steel, "But from the sounds of it, the woman using it wasn't possessed like Jaune was."

"Pyrrha never found it in the ruins." Blake pointed out, "Now we know why. They must have used the bomb as cover to steal it while everyone else was evacuating."

"Hmph. They're clever, alright, but that's not gonna help them when they've got a face full of my fist. What do you say, Rubes? Want to go down to the tunnels and kick some ass?"

"Sounds like a plan!"

"Sounds like a _mistake_." Blake corrected, "So far, all we've had to go on is what they've given us, either through Pyrrha's mysterious message or the bomb message, and each time we've been tricked into losing something we were supposed to protect."

"So, what? We should just leave Weiss to die?" Yang asked incredulously. "What kind of teammates would we be then?!"

"That's not what I meant, and you know it! All I'm saying is that JNPR still haven't finished getting the whole story and combing the area, and it's possible that they'll turn up a clue or something that the enemy didn't intend us to have!"

"There's no time for that!"

"But there's time for senselessly throwing ourselves into the meat grinder?!"

"Do you really think-"

"STOP!"

Ruby looked between Yang and Blake, her expression serious.

"Weiss is gone, okay? She's not here. We don't know where she _is_, we don't know what they're _doing with her_, and we definitely don't know if she's safe! And you know what? Arguing with each other _isn't going to help_."

In a smooth motion, Ruby slung Crescent Rose over her shoulder, beginning a slow walk towards the tent exit.

"Yang, Blake, stay here and get what you need from JNPR and head out on Bumblebee. And me?"

She loaded a round, giving the gun a dramatic cock.

"I've got some tunnels to scout."

* * *

><p>It was around a minute later when JNPR made it into the main tent, and, between them, they were apparently carrying the large block of earth the attackers had left behind. With a heave, the group chucked the block in front of Yang and Blake, who were currently in the middle of getting ready to set off.<p>

"What's with the sign?" Yang asked, adjusting her gauntlets, "Are we gonna put it up on a wall somewhere or what?"

"Not…exactly…" Jaune huffed, rolling his shoulders, "There's a…thingy...in the…sign. Pyrrha?"

"I was searching the area for anything magnetic, and for some reason, there was something left inside this bit of earth." Pyrrha explained, "Since we weren't sure if it was fragile or not, we thought it would be best to bring it inside before we cracked it open, as it were."

"And it totally made for a group bonding activity!"

"That's certainly a Nora way of thinking about it." Ren commented, smiling.

"And now I think we'll have a Nora way of _doing_ it, too." Yang said, "How about it, Anora Borealis? Ready for some hammer time?"

After a definite nod, Nora brought out Magnhild and, with Pyrrha directing her strikes, she smashed the earth surrounding the object like glass, sending a slightly battered scroll flying out onto the floor. Pyrrha was the first to react, using her semblance to levitate the scroll over, and soon the rest were crowded around, gazing intently into the somewhat dirt-covered screen.

"Okay, I wasn't expecting a scroll to pop out." Jaune admitted, "Does it still work?"

"Mmhm." Pyrrha half-answered, cleaning the screen and giving it a few experimental swipes, "I'm just trying to find the personal profile section. Ah, here we are…"

The scroll now displayed the familiar blocky mug of Cardin Winchester.

"Cardin? Huh, that would explain why no one seems to know where he's gone…" Jaune noted, "Do you think he went to rescue her or something?"

"I doubt it." Blake said, sneering, "Considering Cardin was one of the only ones who didn't volunteer to check on a bomb, along with the fact that he obviously wasn't incapacitated like the teachers, it's far more likely that he's gone turncoat."

"Then why leave the sign?" Yang asked, "If someone wanted to completely get away with a kidnapping, they wouldn't leave something like that as a clue, even if it was a dead-end clue. They'd just leave."

"Did you actually read it? 'God rests in the tunnels'. It's a boast, and it certainly wouldn't be the first for someone like Cardin."

"No, something here doesn't add up. Have you found anything else on the scroll, Pyrrha?"

She shook her head.

"His message log seems to all be towards his team or Jaune, and a quick look through didn't turn up anything relevant. Unless…one moment."

TIP TIP TAP.

"Ah, personal notes, here we are. Hm…it seems that his last log was written earlier today, concerning some earth tremors he had felt recently."

Pyrrha scrolled through the wall of text fairly quickly, only coming to a halt as an image came into view. Realising what it was, Yang stole the scroll from Pyrrha's hands, beaming as she raised it towards the ceiling.

"A map!" she exclaimed excitedly, "That beautiful bastard just gave us directions right to the bad guy's lair! Guess I know why they call him _Win_chester now, hot damn!"

"…you can read that?" Jaune asked, staring blankly at what seemed to simply be a mass of random scribbles.

"Well yeah, when you ride a bike around the city a lot, being able to read a map is a pretty sweet way of not getting more lost than a seventy year old supply teacher at a comic con. Now come on, we've gotta head after Ruby!"

"That would explain the red blur we saw earlier." Ren said, "Any idea which way she went?"

Yang shrugged.

"I dunno. All of them?"

* * *

><p>The taste of earth was thick in Weiss' mouth as she awoke, coughing and spluttering as her eyes slowly adjusted to the barely illuminated blackness surrounding her.<p>

From the looks of things, she was currently situated in a large, circular chamber, its walls feverously decorated in symbols and signs the like of which she had never laid eyes on before. To her left was an enormous set of steel double doors which, as it turned out, were also the _only _set of doors, so this room was apparently some kind of dead end. To her right, meanwhile, a towering gold throne stood atop a set of carved stone stairs, and upon it, a tall, thick-set man sat, his scruffy light brown hair topped with a crown that would put a king to shame.

Finally, in the centre of the room, a lone, silvery pyramid proudly stood, upside down and buried in the earth, much like its mindscape counterpart. This time, however, the pyramid carried Zinnia and Ater Mors instead of the bound form of Jaune, though the device still managed to give her the same eerie, desolate feeling.

After what felt like an eternity, the man on the throne stood up, his bare feet hardly making a sound as he padded across the chamber's stone floor and walked up to the shrine, his face set in a twisted grin.

"It is almost ready..." the man announced ominously, glancing over to Weiss, "You should consider yourself blessed that you will live to see it."

Weiss frowned as she realised her hands and legs were currently bound to a chair and, as such, there was basically no escape if this guy decided to monologue. Not only that, but as she tried to say something, to shout, to scream, she found that, while her lips could move and it _felt_ like she was speaking, there didn't seem to actually be any sound coming out of her mouth. The man chuckled.

"Silence…a wonderful semblance, wouldn't you say? Able to quieten impudent children, make attacks completely undetectable and muffle out any sound one might not want to hear. No wonder Karyan made it so far into the Red Hunter's ranks…well, I suppose she also had a little help from her equipment in that regard."

The man ran a finger down Ater Mors, wincing as a spark of dark energy attempted to shock him.

"An intriguing and most powerful weapon, and it will no doubt become even moreso once my experiment bears fruit…not that you have any idea what that might be. Shall I tell you? Yes, I believe I shall…it's not as if there's any chance you would pass such information on, anyway."

The man sauntered over to Weiss, lifting her chin up so that his dark blue eyes met with her own.

"I am Beaufort. Once upon a time, I owned a small dust corporation, one which your father ruthlessly took over and absorbed into his own. He destroyed everything I had, and I was practically left on the streets to die."

Beaufort cracked his knuckles.

"Now I'm going to use the power of Ater Mors to take his company apart, brick by brick…and after that, I might just go ahead and take over Vale while I'm already doing good for the world. After all, who exactly is going to stop me?"

A resounding crashing sound echoed from the door and, at the same time, Weiss felt the silence on her lift.

She grinned.

"Death comes for you, Beaufort…and she carries a red scythe."

* * *

><p><strong>Only the last chapter and the epilogue to go and we're done! Ooooh I'm so excited! <strong>

**As always, any questions, feedbac****k or what have you, either post it as a review or send me a PM, though don't expect me to answer any spoiler requests ; ) .  
><strong>

**See you next Tuesday everyone! Or, uh, Wednesday, in this case. Woops.**


	16. End Of Disk Two

Disclaimer: RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth and Monty Oum, not me. This is merely a fanwork meant for entertainment purposes only. Cover image courtesy of Jan Chrt (jeni-cek on deviantART). All rights reserved.

* * *

><p>Specks of grey and brown whooshed past as Ruby zoomed through the tunnels, slowly making a mental map of the network as more and more dead ends were eliminated. True, this was taking quite a toll on her aura, but with Weiss' situation becoming more and more nebulous by the second, time was most definitely of the essence.<p>

Finally, Ruby came across a chamber that seemed different from the others. Its harshly-defined diamond shape gave it an artificial feel, reinforced by a set of steel doors which seemed to emanate a rather ominous feeling. Meanwhile, a rust-ridden cage swung mournfully on the ceiling, its prisoner stripped to his undergarments and left to helplessly bash at the bars, a pained expression on his face.

"Cardin? Is that you?"

Cardin's eyes lit up as he noticed Ruby below, but while he tried to respond, no sound seemed to escape his lips. Instead, he simply nodded, making a slicing motion towards the bars.

"Okay, but you'll need to stand back. This little rose wasn't made for small cuts, y'know?"

Hoping for a running start, Ruby jogged back to the cavern's entrance and, with her usual flair, made to chop the bars to pieces as Cardin stayed far back at the other end.

CRASH. A figure descended from the ceiling, blocking her strike with a long, pale sword.

"Master Winchester is currently in time out. Please do not disturb him."

Ruby yelled as she was sent flying back, using the wall as a bounce pad to return to a more defensible position. Looking up, she saw that the new adversary was clad in expensive silver armour, dented in several places and complemented by a tattered blood-red cloak. Her helmet, too, was in disrepair, and the cold amber eyes staring through it were somehow hollow, as if they had seen far, far too much.

With a heave, the woman leapt from atop the cage, crashing down upon the stone floor but, oddly, making no sound to accompany it.

"The exit remains clear; use it now, or be struck down where you stand."

"Why is Cardin in the cage?"

"Master Winchester disobeyed a direct order; his prison is merely a place where he must think on the essence of his wrongdoings."

"Was one of them 'helping Weiss'?"

The woman stiffened.

"…she's through the doors, isn't she?" Ruby accused.

The woman straightened out her cape, pointing her sword forward threateningly.

"I ask one last time; leave this place, or remain forever, six feet under."

Ruby readied her scythe.

"…then so be it."

Striking like a viper, the woman lunged forward, missing Ruby by centimetres as she used her semblance to dodge out of the way, zipping around her opponent and coming in for a slash from behind. Unfortunately, while the attack was successful, the woman's armour seemed to take the brunt of the blow and, in a fluid motion, she turned, gripping Crescent Rose with her free hand and using it as leverage to smash Ruby into the floor.

Snarling, Ruby yanked her weapon back, rolling over to one of the corners to unleash a torrent of bullets upon her opponent. The woman responded in kind, switching her sword to a ranged type and sending icicles zooming through the air and, while Ruby managed to dodge most of the spikes, one managed to get through, pinning her cloak to the cave wall. The woman, her armour now peppered with bullet impacts, now moved more slowly towards Ruby, giving her just enough time to detach her cloak before the woman's sword made a rather pronounced hole through her head.

The two fighters looked across from one another, each showing signs of fatigue.

"You fight well for someone so young." the woman muttered between breaths, "But it will take more than a mere huntress to stop Master Beaufort's vision."

"Hm…you might be right."

The woman blinked.

"You surrender, then?"

"Nope!"

In a flash, Ruby bounced off of the opposing wall, slicing clean the supports that kept Cardin's cage aloft and letting it drop to the floor. The woman tried to stop it, but saddled as she was with the armour and her wounds, she was too slow, and by the time she reacted, Ruby's plan had already come into fruition.

Cardin Winchester had joined the fight.

"Master Winchester…no!" the woman yelled, a note of genuine fear creeping into her voice, "This isn't what your father would want!"

With a flick of his right hand, Cardin sent a pillar of earth rising from the floor, sending the woman flying into the roof before coming back down, hard, knocking her out cold.

"My father died ten years ago." Cardin announced, letting the earth settle to its original position, "Beaufort's just a fool in a crown."

He turned to Ruby, gesturing her to follow.

"Let's go. We've got a Weiss to save."

* * *

><p>Beaufort growled at Weiss' newly gained speech and, with hatred in his eyes, delivered a sharp, quick kick to her stomach.<p>

"Watch your tongue, Schnee wench! Just because I want you alive, doesn't mean I want you _unharmed_, so unless you want to lose any of your precious limbs, I'd recommend keeping your ominous predictions to yourself!"

However, Beaufort's kick may have been a little _too_ strong as, with a worrying creak, the chair Weiss had been bound in tipped over backwards and, with only a little encouragement from its occupant, proceeded to break rather spectacularly, giving Weiss precious control of her somewhat clumsy legs.

"I won't bow...to someone like you!" she spat out, wriggling her way out of the remaining ropes. Meanwhile, at the same time, Cardin and Ruby burst through the door, and while Beaufort didn't seem particularly surprised by the latter, the former caught him entirely off-guard.

"Cardin?! Hm, I suppose you defeated Karyan, then…what a pleasant surprise. Come to join my side and witness the end together, my son?"

Cardin rolled his shoulders, ignoring Weiss' surprised stare.

"I've thought on what you said before…about the strong ruling the weak. About how anyone who bows to another only bows out of fear and weakness. About how might makes right."

Cardin clicked his fingers, equipping armour and mace of earth as he stared straight at Beaufort.

"You're wrong…and if you still believe that last one, you're about to find out why."

Shouting out a fierce battle cry, Cardin launched his mace towards the pyramid but, before it could reach its destination, Beaufort jumped in front of it, neatly bisecting it with a pair of ugly curved daggers and watching with satisfaction as the pieces fell harmlessly to one side.

"Arrogance _and_ ignorance? It seems you still have much to learn, _boy_."

Cardin and Beaufort soon descended into a flurry of action peppered with earth and daggers and, taking the opportunity, Ruby zoomed over to the hobbling form of Weiss and unequipped her scythe, picking Weiss up bridal style and heading towards the entrance.

"Oh no you _don't!_"

Sending Cardin crashing into the wall, Beaufort shot a hand towards Ruby and, in an instant, his arm morphed into something resembling a serpent, extending to knock Ruby off-balance. With Cardin still stunned, Beaufort swiftly followed up, grabbing Ruby with his extended arm and drawing her towards him before throwing her backwards into the rear wall. Finally, Beaufort primed his daggers to throw, but before he could execute the move, a rocket-propelled spear flew through the open doors, slamming into his back and sending him sprawling to the floor. The triumphant form of Yang promptly followed, slamming her gauntlets together.

"Did someone order some hot death, or did I get the wrong address?"

Beaufort struggled to his feet as RBY and JNPR piled into the chamber, all armed to the teeth, fresh from fatigue and ready for combat. At the same time, Cardin had managed to shake off the concussion and, with Blake now passing over Myrtenaster to Weiss, and Ruby zooming over to re-equip Crescent Rose, it was looking like Beaufort was more than a little outnumbered. Nevertheless, the man showed no fear, merely laughing at the enemies surrounding him.

"Are these your servants, Schnee? Because if so, perhaps you should have considered recruiting more than a few rag-tag students, _first years_ no less! Honestly, I'm _offended_."

"They aren't my servants, they're my friends; a concept that you obviously don't understand. Oh, and speaking of your stupidity, I would recommend surrendering at this point; that is, unless, you feel as if your body would be greatly improved by being full of bullets."

Beaufort grinned.

"I don't think you quite understand what you're dealing with here. No doubt you've fought many Grimm in your time and, from what I've heard, a few of you have even had encounters with the White Fang…but I? I am no man, no Grimm, no Faunus. I am a god!"

Cardin lunged forward, making another break for the pyramid, but before he could make it, Beaufort had already grabbed both Ater Mors and Zinnia and, with a blinding flash of light, brought them together into one, singular spot. By the time everyone's vision had cleared, the old Beaufort had disappeared, now replaced by a figure clad in shining gold armour, a humming blue greatsword resting in its hands.

"AND TODAY…YOU. WILL. BOW!"

* * *

><p>It all happened so fast. The support fighters had gathered at the backline, using their semblances to help here and there, while the frontline ones charged forward, hoping to find some purchase in Beaufort's armour. However, as they struck, Beaufort brought his sword up to the ceiling and, with a roar of triumph, sent pulses of blue energy surging through the chamber. Jaune managed to bring his shields up just in time, but he could only shield so many, leaving only himself, Weiss and Pyrrha left standing as the pulses robbed everyone else of their strength, leaving them easy pickings as Beaufort swept them aside with his greatsword before proceeding to rest from the attack. Cardin, too, just managed to avoid the onslaught, having buried himself beneath the earth and only now coming back up to join Jaune's side.<p>

"Bianca's been put with the black sword, and now it can steal the aura of others." Cardin whispered, hefting his weapon, "It's why I was trying to destroy the pyramid…not that it matters now."

Jaune gulped.

"So, uh…what do we do?"

"Destroy the sword." Cardin answered bluntly, "Won't be easy, though. You'll probably have to do it, since you have the same kind of weapon."

"A Grimm Slayer?" Weiss asked.

"Something like that. Only question is how we're gonna do it."

Pyrrha glanced between Beaufort and the survivors, estimating distances all the while.

"Jaune?"

"Huh?"

"We need to do what we practiced. As in, right now."

Jaune narrowed his eyes as he looked towards Beaufort, nodding.

"Alright, let's do it. Cardin, Weiss, you're on distraction duty. I'll keep you shielded while you try and cause some trouble for him. Try not to use too much dust, since I'll need a speed glyph when I give the signal. Got it?"

"…and you're sure this will work?"

"Trust me, Weiss. It will."

The shield whined as Beaufort's sword smashed into it.

"Okay, team meeting over, time to go!"

Cardin made his move first, confronting Beaufort head on with his improvised mace, going for a swing to his helmet. Beaufort cackled at the attempt, sending a wave of dark spikes to fill Cardin full of holes, but Weiss got there first, using a launch glyph to send Cardin careening to the right, narrowly avoiding the attack. Next, she imbued her sword with a repulsion glyph and brought it up to meet Beaufort's strike and, while the hit still sent her tumbling backwards, the force rebounded against Beaufort himself, knocking him off-balance and setting him up for a solid hit from Cardin's mace.

"GRAH…WHAT PITIFUL TACTICS. LET ME SHOW YOU _TRUE_ POWER!"

Bringing his sword up to the roof once again, Beaufort sent out dark tendrils which proceeded to grab the outer edges of Weiss and Cardin's shields, picking them up like they were in a hamster ball and flinging them towards the walls. Thankfully, while it did cause an irritating whining, Cardin's shield managed to stay up.

Weiss, meanwhile, was not so lucky.

Seizing the advantage, Beaufort surrounded his sword with a dark aura and, with a mighty swing, sent it flying towards Weiss. Thankfully, however, she managed to recover just in time, sidestepping the strike and using a repulsion glyph to hurl herself into the air, just about avoiding the wasteland-like effect the aura had produced on the cavern floor. Unfortunately, Cardin found that the wasteland didn't want to stay still for long, and soon enough, it had made its way over to him, eroding away his shield and almost trapping him quicksand-style if he hadn't knocked himself away with a pillar of earth.

"NO MORE SHIELDS…TIME TO FEAST!"

Beaufort seemed absolutely implacable as he assumed the same pose he had begun the battle with, seemingly preparing to launch more of the blue waves that had so incapacitated them before.

"Weiss, now!"

Taking her eyes off of Beaufort, Weiss looked around for Jaune, seeing that, from the looks of things, Pyrrha had transferred much of her own aura into his sword, transforming it into the same golden state it had assumed in the manor. Not wanting to waste any more time, she applied the glpyh, hoping beyond hope that Jaune's plan would work.

Beaufort turned, pausing his attack.

"HA! DO YOU REALLY THINK A SINGLE GRIMM SLAYER WILL BE ENOUGH TO STOP ME? ATER MORS HAS REACHED PERFECTION! IT IS INVINCIBLE! _I_ AM INVINCIBLE!"

As if in response to Beaufort's boasting, Crocea Eversor began to shine like a star and, at the same time, Beaufort felt the grip on his own sword weakening.

"WHAT…WHAT ARE YOU DOING?"

In desperation, Beaufort sent a huge beam of blue energy firing out of his sword and, while it managed to pierce through Jaune's shield, it stopped when it hit Crocea Eversor.

In fact, the light almost seemed attracted to it.

"NO...NO!"

Jaune grinned as the sword was yanked from Beaufort's hand and dutifully floated towards his own. Then, as Beaufort lunged forward to grab the sword, Jaune used the speed glyph to launch a flurry of blows, splitting it into as many pieces as he could manage.

* * *

><p>Beaufort wasn't quite sure how long it took for him to wake up…all he knew was that, when he did, the armour was gone, only the handle remained of the sword, and Jaune, Pyrrha, Weiss and Cardin were standing over him.<p>

"Y-you…" Beaufort spluttered out, extending a weak hand towards Jaune, "How…?"

"Pyrrha?" Jaune prompted.

"Well, as a friend of mine might say…"

"Magnets, bitch?"

* * *

><p><strong>-and that was the time I put a billion fight scenes in a single chapter. Oh, hi there! Soul here, happy to tell you that this is the final chapter of None Of Your Business, woop woop! Okay, okay, there's the epilogue, too, but it at least sounds better this way.<strong>

**In any case, I hope you stick around for said epilogue, since that's when I'll be tying up some of those pesky loose ends...and hey, maybe even some relationship resolutions. Who knows?**

**In any case, I'll see you all next week, and if you could leave a review to tell me what you think, that'd be grand ^^ .**

**See ya when I see ya, readers!**


	17. After The Credits (Epilogue)

Disclaimer: RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth and Monty Oum, not me. This is merely a fanwork meant for entertainment purposes only. Cover image courtesy of Jan Chrt (jeni-cek on deviantART). All rights reserved.

* * *

><p>The smell of sugar wafted through the air as Weiss lazed back in the lawn chair, basking in the sun's rays as she waited for her ice cream to be served. On the other side of the circular table, meanwhile, sat Cardin, looking decidedly uncomfortable in the t-shirt and jeans combo he'd been forced into after Weiss 'respectfully disagreed' with the idea that wearing armour in an ice cream parlour was a perfectly reasonable idea. Still, after his vanilla ice cream finally arrived, arranged in a dainty little glass complete with miniature parasol to boot, he seemed a little more at ease, proceeding to dig into his new treat with great gusto. Weiss, on the other hand, was content to wait a little longer, merely glaring dreamily up at the clear blue sky.<p>

"It'll melt if you just leave it like that."

Weiss switched her view to Cardin, noting that his ice cream had already been half-devoured.

"There's a balance between 'leaving something' and 'wolfing it down', you know. Perhaps you should try it sometime."

Cardin shrugged.

"Never know when something'll up and vanish. Might as well grab it while it's still there."

"Hm…I suppose there's some wisdom in that."

Weiss took a slice from her lemon ice cream, daintily placing it in her mouth and murmuring happily as the softest tang danced through her taste buds. Naturally, by the time she'd fully appreciated her spoonful, Cardin had already finished his entire ice cream, his expression vaguely sheepish.

"…sorry. Should've waited, right?"

"That would be _polite_, yes." Weiss replied amusedly, "Still, this isn't exactly a dinner at an upper-class restaurant; if you want to eat that quickly, then by all means, be my guest. This is your treat, after all."

Cardin pushed his ice cream glass to the side.

"Still not sure why you decided to go through with this….not like I did much good as your bodyguard. Probably would've been better off on your own, even."

"I told you we were going to an ice cream parlour before, did I not? Besides, when it came to confronting your father, I think you did as much as you could."

A moment of silence descended on the table as the two cast their mind back to the previous week's events. Thankfully, there was plenty of chatter from the parlour's other visitors to fill the space, but even so, it was clear that they were lost in thought.

"…what was he like?" Weiss asked finally, eating a few more spoonfuls of her ice cream.

"Vengeful, crazy, egotistical. You saw him."

"I meant what he was _really_ like. I assume you were raised by him, after all."

Cardin shifted his weight on the chair.

"Before Schnee Corp took him down a few pegs, he was…a little more adjusted. Had this philosophy he passed down to me, about might making right. Mother seemed to like his confidence, and back then, they were just your average couple."

Cardin idly swirled his spoon around the empty glass.

"Then the takeover happened. Couldn't believe he'd been beaten, tried to make his way through the ranks to prove he was still on top. When that wasn't enough, he was trying other things, _criminal_ things, and mother knew well enough that getting out was her best bet. That's about when he disappeared, and aside from some cryptic emails, I didn't hear much from him. Enrolled in Beacon after that, and the rest is history."

Weiss hastily finished her ice cream before it melted, wincing slightly as the brain freeze took hold.

"The 'might is right' part…you mentioned it before, didn't you? Something about the Faunus?"

"Mm. Said that I didn't respect the Faunus since they never seemed to rise up and fight the oppression they're always going on about…not head on, anyway. The White Fang's too cloak and dagger. Too cowardly."

"It sounds like your father's beliefs had quite an impact on you."

"They did, once. Now I'm not so sure."

"Oh? Why not?"

"I mean, look at Jaune. Could barely fight a squirrel at the start of the year, then he goes and kills an Ursa Major like it's nothing. Made me realise that strength isn't always obvious, and even when it is, not lording it over people doesn't mean you don't have any."

Cardin leaned back, his eyes drifting to the sky.

"Then there's Beacon's teams. People can be weak individually, but when they work together, they can cover each other's weaknesses, maybe even make new strengths. Father always said it was about individual strength, but I know for sure that he and Alice couldn't have been taken down by just one of us."

He sighed.

"Used to be simple, but now it's all complicated. Can't just roll over someone weak like Velvet, since they could be some important part of a team. Can't just decide I'm right because I'm the strongest, since sometimes, there's more than one way to have strength. Can't just leave my team behind and work on my own strength, since there's so many tasks at Beacon that need you to work together. It just…doesn't work anymore."

Weiss raised her eyebrows in surprise.

"You've been thinking a lot, haven't you?"

"Kinda have to when your old life philosophy breaks like a sheet of glass. Still think there's something about it that holds true, but I'm gonna have to put it back together to find out what. Discard the useless things in the process. Start again."

An incessant beeping pierced through the air from Weiss' scroll, and it was only after checking it that she realised what time it was.

"Ah, dust. Sorry, Cardin, but it looks like I need to finish off some preparations for the Aurora re-opening party. Perhaps I'll see you there?"

Cardin shook his head.

"Sorry, already got something planned for tonight."

"Anything nice?"

"Just a talk with a certain girl in white."

"Then she's…?"

"Yeah. Guess she held on after all." Cardin replied, a note of pride in his voice.

"I'm glad to hear that, considering all she's been through."

"Should I pass her a message?"

Weiss got up from her seat, placing a substantial amount of lien on the table as a tip.

"Just a thank you." she said finally, giving Cardin a warm smile, "For everything."

Cardin smiled back.

"I think she'd like that."

* * *

><p>It had been quite a party. With Beacon still under reconstruction by Glynda, many of the boarding students had found themselves without a lot to be getting on with, leaving Aurora's opening packed with people enjoying plenty of food, drink and merriment. Unfortunately, after unwisely starting on a bottle of wine, Weiss found herself a little overcome by the event and, as such, decided to retire upstairs, eventually finding herself on the newly constructed balcony. Even while somewhat inebriated, Weiss still found the view spectacular, and when Jaune came upon her, she was still staring up at the bright stars above, the glass of wine laying mostly untouched in her hand.<p>

"Uh, Weiss?"

Weiss gasped in surprise, using the balcony to support herself as she turned around. Dressed in the same black suit from the first opening party, Jaune looked for all the world like a gentleman, his brow furrowed in worry.

"Are you alright? Someone said you came up here earlier, and I just wanted to make sure you weren't sick or anything. Wait…have you been drinking?"

Weiss lifted her glass up with something approaching pride.

"You say that like it's a bad thing!" she exclaimed, her speech slightly slurred, "I mean, when you get these sort of events, people just _have_ to drink some wine to celebrate, don't you think? Why don't you have some?"

"Not after what happened at my sister's wedding." Jaune said sheepishly.

"Please? For me?"

Jaune sighed.

"Well, alright, perhaps just one glass."

In a flash, Weiss zipped in and out of the main building, triumphantly returning with a spotlessly clean glass and eagerly filling it up from a bottle of red wine. Jaune took it a little warily, and while a cautionary sip confirmed that it was a little too rich for him, he supposed humouring Weiss couldn't hurt.

"Nice, isn't it?"

"Hm? Oh, uh, yeah, it's great. Thank you."

Jaune watched as Weiss turned her attention to the sky, and it wasn't long before he too followed suit, whistling softly at its majesty.

"It's definitely nice to see a sky like that after all that stuff underground. Maybe it sounds silly now, but I half thought I was gonna be stuck down there."

"Then it's a good thing we sent that Beaufort rapscallion packing, isn't it?" Weiss responded flamboyantly, "I mean, who did he think he was, anyway? Trying to take on both of us…he should've known that wouldn't work!"

Jaune smiled amusedly.

"I get the impression you might be more than a little drunk, Miss Schnee."

"I most certainly am not!" Weiss exclaimed tartly, even as she downed the rest of her glass, "Tipsy, perhaps…but drunk? Noooo, never!"

"Hah. You're funny when you're drunk."

"So are you…funny _looking_! Burn!"

"Darn, you've got me there." Jaune joked, "Guess I'd better go home and hang my tux back up, eh? I mean, who wants to see this old mug?"

"Oh no you don't! I won't have a handsome young man like yourself leave just like that!"

Without warning, Weiss placed her glass to the side, grabbing Jaune by the waist and pulling him closer.

"Not without a goodnight kiss, anyway." she finished seductively.

Alarm bells started to ring in Jaune's head as Weiss began to lean in close, her high heels giving her enough height to pull him in for a good smack on the lips….that is, if he let her.

_Um, hello? You're already taken, man! Pyrrha is __literally__ just downstairs right now!_

_But…Weiss..._

_Is __drunk__ and is definitely not thinking straight. Is this really what you want?_

…

There had been times in the past year that Weiss had never left his mind, her petite, perfect form suffocating his thoughts as he tried to think of something, _anything_ else. She was smart, confident, beautiful…okay, maybe she could also be grumpy sometimes, and maybe even a bit mean, but that didn't make the attraction any less real. Still, she had always been on this other level, this holy pedestal, so much so that Jaune had barely entertained the thought of touching it after the incident in Forever Fall.

…and now she was here, practically handing herself over on a silver platter, going in for a kiss of her own volition.

_No._

Weiss looked up at him with teary eyes as he gently pushed her away.

"B-but…I thought…"

"I'm sorry, Weiss. I really, truly, am, but…it would be a disservice to both of us. I'm already dating Pyrrha, and you…you deserve someone better. Someone who's not some blonde dork who barely knows what he's doing, both in love and in combat. Someone who's right for you."

As Weiss began to cry, Jaune brought her in for a hug, waiting patiently as her sadness flowed out into the empty night air. Eventually, her tears began to fade, and, releasing the embrace, Jaune gave her an encouraging smile.

"I care about you a lot, you know? You're one of my best friends…and, just because we can't be romantic, doesn't make our bond any weaker. Remember that."

Jaune's smart black shoes clacked along the floor as he walked back into the main room.

"Goodnight, Weiss."

* * *

><p>It was quite some time later that Weiss awoke, nearly rolling off the side of her bunk bed before realising where she was.<p>

"How did I…?"

As if to answer her question, the expectant head of Ruby popped up from the side, grinning widely.

"Oh, hey Weiss! Have a good sleep?"

Weiss tilted her head to the side, squinting slightly.

"Maybe when she's a bit older…"

"Huh?"

"Nevermind. I guess Glynda finished rebuilding, then?"

"Yup! Doesn't it look great?"

"Well _I_ for one wish she'd neglected to return the empty cookie packets to this particular room." Weiss replied snarkily.

"Those…might be new packets."

"RUBY!"

Meanwhile, a little down the hallway, an armoured figure walked, the mace on their back now decorated with silver-white trim which seemed to emanate a soft, girlish giggle.

"What's so funny?" Cardin asked.

The voice sighed.

_Oh, you wouldn't understand. Shipping stuff._

* * *

><p><strong>And thus, None Of Your Business comes to a close. It ended up quite a bit longer than In A Grimm Manor, and while I think I preferred its prequel, I still had a lot of fun writing this and, hopefully, it brought some entertainment to you, the readers ^^. I'll be having another pass over the chapters at some point, to pick up on any inelegances or spelling errors I've missed, but otherwise, consider this story done. Will there be a direct sequel? Probably not. Will I write more fanfic? Possibly! Still, I have no schedule for it, so if you want to keep track of me, I'd recommend adding me as a favourite author just for convenience. <strong>

**In any case, now that the story's all well and done, I'm going to do what I did last time and go over my title trivia. In A Grimm Manor used literary works as title inspiration, but this time, I decided to reference video games...which, uh, turned out to actually be a little harder. Anyways, without further ado:**

**Capitalism, Ho! - Recettear**

**You Must Construct Additional Pylons! - Starcraft**

**Swooping Is Bad - Dragon Age**

**Desynchronised - Assassin's Creed**

**S Support Unlocked - Fire Emblem**

**Objection! - Ace Attorney Series**

**Guild Wars - Guild Wars **

**Ignite - League Of Legends**

**Cave Story - Cave Story **

**The Slayer - Baldur's Gate**

**Fallout - Fallout **

**Dive To The Heart - Kingdom Hearts**

**Time Crisis - Time Crisis**

**Set Up Us The Bomb - Zero Wing**

**Not So Elder Scroll - The Elder Scrolls**

**End Of Disk Two - General reference to old multi-disk games, especially Final Fantasy**

**After The Credits - Another general reference to epilogues after the game credits roll**

**And with that, I reckon we're about done. Thank you for your reviews, favourites and other stuff, and I hope to see you guys again in the future! But until then...ciao!**

**- Soulwithlife**


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